Not Everything Is Silver and Gold
by Birdy Chan
Summary: The pirate stretched out his arm, offering his hand to you. You were afraid of what was going to happen to you but you knew you had no choice. You agreed to this. For her sake in the very least. Pirate Prussia x Reader
1. Chapter 1

**Surprise! New Hetalia insert fic! This time it's Pirate Prussia x Reader**

**Long story short, this wouldn't shut up in my head and it had to be done. I'm still working on Don't EFF With the Babysitter Part 3 and the next chapter will be posted after I finish that series so hopefully it won't take too long. **

**(With any luck I can improve my multitasking skills and work on this the same time as DEWTHB part 3 ^^;)**

**And one part of the fight's lines is from Pirates of the Carribbean  
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**Alrighty… Summary time! **

**You foolishly challenge the Pirate Captain Gilbert Beilschmidt to a wagering duel in an effort to save your sister and others who were taken hostage during a pirate raid and lost. You now belonged to him and if you refused, he would kill everyone in your town. To make everything even more complicated, you were identified as a 'Pure One' which you have no idea what that even is but it was what the pirates were looking for. You managed to negotiate the safety for your home's residents and your sister in exchange that you would go with Captain Beilschmidt willingly. You have no idea what danger you put yourself into…**

Xxxxxxxx

Not Everything is Silver and Gold 1

"Why do you look so afraid, liebe? I won't bite... much. How about you come sit with me and make yourself more comfortable?" The pirate stretched out his arm, offering his hand to you. You stayed with your back against the wall of his room, shaking in your spot. You were afraid of what was going to happen to you but you knew you had no choice. You agreed to this.

-Several hours earlier-

You rolled over your beaten mattress and shivered with the sudden chill that was sent down your spine. Without opening your eyes, you move your arm to embrace your little sister and her warmth only to find her spot empty.

"Tori?" You shot up immediately and looked around in panic and started to worry. "Victoria?"

"(Name), you're awake. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Your little sister appeared in the doorway with some flour on her face. You sigh in relief. You may seem over protective of her but she was the only family you had left and you weren't living in the greatest conditions.

Your parents were killed by a pirate raid three years ago, when you were 16 and Victoria was 11. That night was forever burned in your mind. You could recall everything in exact detail. The flames, the shouting, the ashes... The dreams.

Before that night, for several nights, you had the same dream over and over. There was smoke, flames, people with weapons and killing people who were trying to fight back. Among the body count were your parents. You brushed it off as a nightmare but for three nights and two cat naps in a row, you had the same dream and warned your parents and everyone else you could.

No one listened. No one believed in such things. Your old home, Andros, was protected from pirates for years. The defenses were flawless, the soldiers that were stationed to protect the town were the best of the best.

You gave up trying to convince everyone and finally convinced yourself it was all a bad dream. Until that night came to life. Your father was the first to fall when they arrived. They were so silent, no one knew they were coming. It was like they materialized out of thin air. They were looking for something and they let anyone who would cooperate live but no one was willing to step down.

They finally arrived at your house, and your mother instructed you to take your sister to run, far away, no matter what and never come back here. She knew there was another town, and that she would meet you there if she could. What would've happened was that she would stay there and wait for you and your sister.

But that never happened. They came into your house. The captain himself, came in demanding for someone. He was shouting that if no one got in his way, no one would be harmed. Your mother made sure that you and your sister made it out of the house and were on the north road that led to the next town.

Before you ran off with your sister down the road, you turned back at the end of the road to see if you could see your mother but all you heard was "It's me! I'm who you're looking for!" You saw your mother with another figure in a bloody red coat. His golden hair and his unusually large eyebrows were vivid in your mind.

There was a flash of green and violet after some creepy chant has been said and you saw your mother disappear into thin air and where she stood, a glowing silver wisp of smoke was in her place. You watched in horror as you process what you witnessed.

The man gently took the wisp in his hand as it was starting to ascend and swore loudly as it vanished in his hand.

"Lying bitch!"

"Captain, maybe she didn't know. She probably wanted to just protect her town by giving herself up."

"No." He growled. "She knew. She was stalling." You didn't listen to what else he had to say, you caught up with your sister and ran as fast as you could to the next town.

Pirates never touched your town or the town you live in now. But that didn't keep you from training yourself and doing everything in your power to protect her. Your sweet, pure, innocent and golden baby sister was your world. You found someone to teach you fencing and you worked in a bakery to earn your living and you and Victoria put on dances from time to time. You would sing, she would dance or you would get your fellow coworker to play the tambourine and you both would dance.

You lived in a small unit above the bakery in the town square and you told Victoria that she was never to leave or go anywhere without telling you. You usually got up earlier than her so it was never an issue in the morning. You had another dream- a nightmare- that dealt with pirates and you were terrified for Victoria. This house was the safest in the town in case, Godforbid, that would ever happen. Unless you really looked or knew where the trapdoor was, there was no way there would be any access into their house. There were plenty of windows but there was no way to get in from the outside.

You embraced your little sister tightly and let your head fall on your shoulder.

"Please don't leave without telling me."

"But-I wanted to surprise you, (Name). You worked so hard for me, I thought it would be nice to surprise you with your favourite cookies."

"Huh... You're so sweet." You couldn't help but smile. You stroked her golden hair softly as you embraced her. There was nothing you wouldn't do for her. Everything seemed to be alright for the rest of the day. Until nightfall. People started to scream and other people started shouting.

"Stay out of the way and nobody gets hurt!" The survivors of your town shouted for everyone to listen and to round up their treasure quickly so that the pirates would just take them and get out.

You spotted a tall albino man that looked like the captain and you kept your eye on him. You recognized him from the dream and you were sure he was the captain. You had to get home quickly and make sure Victoria was safe. But... Like the last time, it was too late.

"Round up all the ones you think might be one of them!" One of the crew members shouted. The albino did nothing and was watching all this happen like a hawk. You caught a glimpse of his ruby red eyes but tore your gaze back to the street. You headed to the animal shelter where Victoria worked only to find Victoria among other people you knew fairly well in a group that was surrounded by pirates. They were all volunteers or very kind people. The majority of them all had golden hair. But the youngest one out of the group was your sister.

'What the hell is this? Some sort of genocide?' You gritted your teeth. You couldn't just stand there and do who knows what to your sister and to everyone else. You gave it a quick thought and knew that the best decision would be to go after the captain. He has all the power, if he lost to you, he'd have to leave. But you never actually fought anyone before, you just practiced on a dummy while your coworker showed you how to attack and defend.

You tied your long hair back because you knew it would get in your way if it was loose. You had a sword in hand in which NOBODY noticed and you moved in the shadows carefully making your way to the captain.

You snuck around the crowd as they gathered around as their loved ones that were to be judged by the pirates. They were all in two lines and as afraid as they were, they didn't make a sound. You had to get to the captain. The first one was a boy named Josh who Victoria had a crush on. She was four people away from him.

The pirate pulled out a rather large jewel it started to glow a faint green but faded.

"There's one here, alright." The crew member turned his head to the captain. "But he's not it. You're free to go." He turned back to Josh who was confused.

"What? Y-you aren't going to kill me?"

"Would you rather that we did?"

"N-no." That was a relief, those who weren't who they were looking for were spared. But what about afterwards? Real pirates are never that honest. And what about the one who was it, whatever or whoever they were looking for? What would be the fate of everyone else? He tried to move back to Victoria and get her out of there too.

"Oi! He only said that you can leave. If she's not it, than she can leave with you." The albino barked. "You fight and both of you die." Maybe not. But he wasn't going to get away with threatening your sister. Josh stepped away a fair bit of distance. But he kept a close eye on Victoria who was on the verge of tears.

You were almost to the pirate captain and you noticed that the other goon was almost to Victoria. You were right behind him and no one noticed your presence which you hid very well until it was your time to move.

You leaped out of the shadows and caught the albino by surprise by grabbing his hair to move his head back and had your blade at his neck.

"Oh... This is rather interesting." The albino smirked and surprisingly didn't make any resistance.

"Get away from them!" You shouted. "Or I'll kill your precious captain." The other pirates had their guns on you. You then realize this was absolutely the stupidest idea ever. They could just shoot the hostages or you. 'Note to self, if I live through this, think plans through in the future.' The way you were positioned, if you went down, the albino went down with you.

"Order them to stand down." You hissed. The albino smirked and lazily ordered them to lower their weapons in some foreign language.

"Something tells me you have something important to say, frau." He looked down at you while you glared at him. That thin smirk never left his face.

"I want you to get your crew and go the hell back where you came from. We'll give you any treasure you want if you get the hell out and Leave. Them. Alone. And. Alive."

"Nein. Sorry, Frau but that is a no-can-do." He was so quick to escape your grip. He carefully took the blade that was on his throat in one hand and forced you on the ground with the other. You didn't think he would be able to do that unharmed but you were sorely mistaken. You knew you couldn't back down now, he had to be taken down for the town to be saved. You managed to grab your sword again and point it at him.

"Then I challenge you to a duel." There were some gasps in the crowd and some 'ooohs' from the crew. "If I win, you leave this town and its residents unharmed." The albino cackled.

"I like your spirit, liebe. If I win, you have to do what I say. High price for high price, wouldn't you say?" You swallowed hard. You really should have thought things through.

"Agreed." You say bitterly. He drew his sword as your raised yours and stroked his blade against yours slowly and you cringed at the sound it was making but you kept your posture.

He lunged towards you and you blocked it as he backed you up toward the hostages. Before you got too close, you retaliated and tried to attack him, forcing him back but he wouldn't let you even get close to touching him.

"I'll give you some credit, liebe." His smirk grew. "You know what you're doing. I'd wager you'd make a fine pirate... 's apprentice." You lunged towards him and your blades clashed and you were standing near each other with your blades crossed in an 'x'.

"Never." You snarled.

"You have excellent techniques. But... How's your foot work?" He moved in a circle and you followed him as if he were leading you in a dance. "If I step this way... He kept on moving but moved his blade in which you blocked. "Very good. Let's go the other way." He moved the other way with haste and you blocked and denied him any form of access that he could use to his advantage. You were so glad you worked on your flexibility because you had to bend your arm in strange positions so quickly.

"I take back what I said before. You'd make a fine addition to any pirate crew. It would be an awesome addition to mine. I suppose my men could learn a thing or two from you." You clashed blades with him again and you had the upper hand and had your blade against his throat. Your confidence was unbelievably high. You actually were winning a duel against a pirate.

"I'll die before I become one of you murderous thieving scumbags."

"Now that wasn't very nice, liebe. Just for that little remark... I'm not holding back anymore." Oh shit. You braced yourself for what was going to happen next. His techniques were lightning fast and very difficult to block. You tried attacking which only ended up in you getting nicked slightly a few times. On your side, on your neck and on your arms.

Then it was the last blow. It was all over before you even blinked.

He knocked your sword out of your hand and it was sticking out of the ground a fair bit of distance away from you. According to the general rules of combat, the first to fall loses. You lost your sword. YOU. LOST.

You stood there wide eyed. How could you have been so foolish? What was your punishment? Death? Please make it quick. For Victoria's sake.

Those taken hostage and other people who weren't involved were crying out your name. But they dared not to intervene. They knew you well and knew that although you don't think some things through, you knew what the consequences were and would pay them without complaint however, you even had to admit you were in way over your head. Victoria was in hysterics.

"You're quite something, liebe. Now... What to do with you?" The albino mused as he sheathed his sword and circled around you. You dared not to look in his eyes and just stared unfocused on what was ahead of you. "I know. It's been a while since I've had... company. I trust that you won't disappoint me."

"You sick bastard! Like hell!"

"Ah ah ah. Remember the deal? If you refuse my demands..." He leaned to your ear and whispered "I will make an example out of you and kill anyone who looks at me sideways. You must do everything I say and I mean everything." He said seductively in your ear and you turned your head away. He chuckled and began circling around you again. "Don't worry. I can assure you that if you behave, you will have a pleasant life."

"For how long?" You asked in a shaky voice, still unwilling to look him in the eye. He cackled again.

"How long? How long you say? As long as I want. However... The deal can be cut short. Through death." You shivered.

"I'd rather not have it come to that. I don't kill unless it's absolutely necessary. Such as my enemies and anyone who persistently gets in the way between me and what I want. We will leave as soon as I am done here. Speaking of... You there! Check her!"

"Aye, sir." The man with the glowing green stone was slowly approaching you. The albino held you in place by grabbing you by the throat and pressing you against himself.

"Big sister!" Victoria burst from the other hostages and ran towards you. A pirate slapped her in the face causing her to fall to the ground. You elbowed the albino and ran to your sister, wrapping your arms around her and protecting her. You had guns pointed at both of you as Victoria cried into your chest.

"That wasn't very nice, liebe." The albino said as he approached you. "Trust me, you will be punished for this later."

"I have every right to protect my sister, you bastard." You growled. "Deal or not, you won't touch her as long as I'm still alive."

"Sir, surly you can find another girl. This one has nuisance all over her. I say we kill them both." A black haired, icy blue eyed pirate said.

"Wait! Wait!" The pirate with the green stone cried out as he was approaching you again. The stone was shining very brightly. "She's one of them. She's a Pure One." All the pirates gasped and turned their attention to you.

You were confused as to what a Pure One was. Suddenly, the pirates were ready to rip you and Victoria apart to get to you. Before they could, you screamed "Parley! Parley!" Your voice was desperate to be heard.

They were going to kill Victoria the second you were apart, you were sure of it. But you were what they were looking for and this was your second chance to protect your town. Parley allowed you to negotiate whatever you wanted and they couldn't hurt any of you until the negotiations were complete.

They backed off and the albino stepped forward. You kept your head down and once again refused to meet his face. The market square fell silent. Nobody dared to even breathe.

"I'll go with you. Willingly." There was shouting from the villagers for you not to do it. You heard one person say letting yourself be used was worse than death. You threw a soft glance at everyone, trying your best to put on your brave face. You took a deep breath then continued. "But you must promise to leave immediately. No one else is be harmed in any way."

"Fine." The albino said grabbing your arm and taking you from your sister.

"Wait! I'm not done!" He stopped and turned to you waiting for your answer. "Tell me this: Is there any way to prevent other pirates from coming here or to make them believe that there is nothing left from your raid?"

His brow furrowed as he was thinking. "I do have something. Will it work? Probably." He shrugged. "And listen up, you people. If anyone else come looking, tell them that Captain Beilschmidt took everything. That is the best advice I can give you. And if that doesn't work," He snickered which made you scoff making you believe that he was going to say something foolish to get them killed for sure if, Godforbid, this were to happen again. "Tell them that 'the Awesome Prussia owned our asses'."

"Hey! They may be at your mercy but they deserve dignity." You snarled.

"What? It's true. You want your precious townspeople to live or not?" He waited for a moment and you didn't say anything.

"Are you done now, liebe?"

"Almost."

"I told you she'd be a nuisance." That black haired pirate loudly whispered to another crew member but loud enough for you to hear. You threw a venomous glare at them to make them shut up.

"Let me say goodbye. That's everything."

"Very well. But make it quick. Only to your... sister and one other person personally. Then a quick wave to everyone else." He let your arm go as you ran to your sister who was crying against you.

The captain began giving orders in his language and the crew started to evacuate the market.

"Big sister! Why?" Victoria sobbed. "You won't be able to come home! They'll hurt you!"

"No they won't, Tori. I'll be alright... Somehow. But... I need you to stay strong for me, alright? I promise I'll come back for you. I promise. But you have to be strong for me, alright? Promise? Just you wait, I'll be coming back on that horizon before you know it. Pinky promise?" You smile as confidently as you could. She stopped crying and crossed your finger with hers. You hugged her and let her head rest on your shoulder. You placed your hand on the back of her head and sang her your lullaby.

_"I see you  
>In the back of my mind<em>

I see you  
>Forever in my dreams<p>

Always together  
>Never to part<p>

I'll always hold you  
>Here, in my heart<p>

No matter where we are  
>No matter how far apart<p>

I'll always hold you  
>Here, in my heart<p>

I'll... always hold you  
>Here, in my heart."<p>

You gently pulled away and kissed her forehead. "I love you." You looked up to everyone who still stayed.

"Promise you'll look after her in my place?" There were some nods and quick farewells in the small crowd. You were ready to burst into tears but turned around and kept your head up with pride. You were doing this for a good cause. Who knows? This may be an adventure for you.

You know who you were. You were (Full Name) and you NEVER went down without a fight or gave in completely.

You didn't know what was going to happen to you in the time being. But whatever the world threw at you, you will endure it. You will survive. You will come back home. You will come back to your sister.

Questions flooded your mind as you followed (or more like dragged by) the albino onto the ship. The most vivid one was 'What's going to happen to me?' You watched as Stenies was shrinking in the distance and that echoed in your mind until it was out of sight. You slouched on the railing and watch the waves roll by quickly, ignoring the jeers of the occasional crew member that was thrown at you.

The captain was giving some sort of victory speech... orders... something. You didn't give a damn. He was standing on a box with the crew circled around him cheering while you were just watching the waves. It was the only thing that seemed to be calming you down.

You look around for nothing in particular and your gaze quickly catches onto the albino. You just realized you never got his name. But you didn't really care or want to care. He was the absolute last person you wanted contact with. But that wasn't going to happen, was it?

He was the one who was holding you captive. Well, not really. This was a supposedly a mild form of captivity in contrast to the horror stories you heard. But you were a captive nonetheless. There could be worse things done to you by every member of the crew but apparently, you did overhear that you were the captain's and ONLY the captain's.

"Like hell." You mutter. You would never like let alone belong to the one who would dare to hurt your sister as he did. You loathed him more than that pirate that you saw on that night.

Speaking of the devil, the red eyed bastard appeared out of nowhere.

"Ah, there you are, mein Vögelchen." He had a sly grin.

"Stop that. I'm not yours and I never will be."

"On the contrary. Remember our agreement?"

"I said I'd go with you if you left my home and my people alone and kept others away. I never said that I would give myself to you."

He gave a dark chuckle. "The OTHER one, liebe. You lost our wagering duel. You are mine and mine alone. You do everything I say otherwise... I go back and do what 'theiving murderous scumbags' do."

"What? According to your code, the negotiations of parley are binding!" You shot up and faced him dangerously. You tightened your fist as if you were ready to punch him.

"As are wagering duels. I'll keep this simple: you don't live up your end, I won't live up on mine." You relaxed your fist and hung your head.

"Good girl." He smirked as he stroked your jaw line making you flinch and pull away. "Or not. You better start watching your actions toward me. I assure you, they will not go unpunished."

"What do you expect me to do?" You snap. "I've been kidnapped for a few hours and am being blackmailed by you and I obviously hate you. How would you react?"

"Hmm. Fair enough. I'll let that slide. But... Don't think for a second that your earlier actions will be ignored."

-Back to the Present... More or Less-

He locked the door to his private cabin and went to his desk to remove his coat and boots. He put the key on a chain around his neck so that there was no way you could get it and sneak out in the middle of the night.

You on the other hand went against the wall, shaking in your spot, trying to take this all in. This was real. There was no way out.

The pirate made his way to his bed and sat on the edge, smirking at you.

"Why do you look so afraid, liebe? I won't bite... much. How about you come sit with me and make yourself more comfortable?" The pirate stretched out his arm, offering his hand to you. You stayed with your back against the wall of his room, shaking in your spot. You were afraid of what was going to happen to you but you knew you had no choice. You agreed to this.

You carefully walk up to him and force your arm out to accept his hand. He pulls you onto the bed into a sitting position.

"By the way, I don't think I got your name, liebe."

"(Name). (Full Name)." You gave a weak glare at him. You were terrified of what was going to happen next. You told yourself over and over it would be alright. You were going to live through this. You had to. For her sake.

"Beautiful name. Captain Gilbert Beilschmidt of the St. Maria."


	2. Chapter 2

Before you could blink, the pirate rammed his lips onto you. He embraced you and pulled you on his lap making your movements almost impossible. You tried your best to predict his movements to avoid him with no success.

Even if you could, the voice of your judgment echoed his threat. 'If you refuse my demands, I will make an example out of you and kill anyone who looks at me sideways.' Your judgment always involved rash thinking but this time, you knew that it was right. You couldn't take any chance of him killing everyone in your town. But that doesn't mean you couldn't fight back and stall him if you could.

You were running out of oxygen and were pretty close to shoving him off of you when he finally pulled away.

"You need to relax more, liebe. Otherwise this won't be very pleasant on your part."

You glared at him and said nothing. He smirked and stroked your neck and you flinched from his touch.

"Tell me, _. Have you ever been with a man before? Judging by your actions, I'd say he hasn't been treating you well if you're so afraid of my gentle touch." His finger was replaced by his head as he was nuzzling the crook of your neck. Meanwhile his finger was trailing up and down your long sleeve.

'Gentle touch my ass!' You hissed.

"Men don't interest me." You turned your head away as you answered him coldly. You had to keep your mind occupied with something to keep yourself lashing out at him.

"Really? I figured something like that. You're not a very good kisser, liebe."

"Excuse me for being raised with honesty and virtues and not stooping as low as becoming a whore to survive." You say monotonically through your teeth.

"Tsk tsk. You're so cold liebe. And I want you to look at me when I'm talking to you." He made you turn your head to look at him. He kept a fairly firm grip on your chin.

Red eyes met fiery, feisty (e/c) eyes. You could see the lust in his eyes and he loved your rebellious (e/c) eyes. They were so unique and strong, he wondered what it would take to tame them and claim them as his.

"You're really interesting,_. Tell me more about yourself, tell me what you hide behind those beautiful eyes." He let go of your chin and resumed nuzzling your neck.

"Why should I?"

"Hmm... Because I like to get to know those who are staying with me. If that's not a good reason, here's one: because I said so. It would be very unwise to fight back, _." You clench your fist as he was trailing his nose along your neck, taking in your scent.

"What's to say? I live in a town and I work to keep me and my sister alive." His hand shifted from your arm to the free side of your neck. Before he could reply, you spoke again. "Why do you need me? What is a Pure One?"

"I'll be the one asking the questions right now, liebe. I've been more than generous by letting you take advantage of your demands. You should live up to your end of the bargain first before I can give you anything else. Or I could tell you right now but you have to do something very special for me as payment. I'm fine either way." By the tone of his voice, you could tell that whatever he wanted, it wasn't going to be pleasant. But how much do you have to do for him to answer you?

His hand was now traveling down your chest and you gasped when he deliberately stopped on your breast. You smacked his hand away and he pushed you on your back onto the bed pinning your wrists.

"What did I say about fighting back, _? If you do that again, I will have to restrain you. Or... Do you secretly want me to restrain you?" A sadistic smirk grew on his face.

"No, I don't! And you can't touch me there!" You had a streak of red on your face.

"Ah yes, you have never been with a man before. Don't worry. This is all supposed to make you feel good, so just let your body act naturally and don't fight it."

'Translation: Don't fight me. Bastard!' You thought as he placed a hard kiss where his head was.

"Tell me how you learned to duel. You had a very good teacher."

He resumed kissing your neck and started to undo your shirt slowly. You turned your head away again as your streak of red returned. You hated this feeling. You hated him. You wanted to punch him in the face so much.

Not so much for yourself but for Victoria. By it is also for her sake that you don't punch him.

He hurt her severely by taking you away but he's also indirectly threatening her life if you refuse to cooperate. If you died, she couldn't survive. If he didn't kill you, he would go back to your town and kill her along with anyone he could.

He may take your innocence but you reassured yourself that he would never have your heart. You could never love someone who would hurt the only one you love.

You picture Gilbert as that pirate from that night. You try to picture that he was the one that murdered your parents. You could never forgive him. You had to hate him.

The truth was you didn't hate Gilbert as much as that pirate but Gilbert was up there. If he did anything more to hurt Victoria, he would be next in line for your vengeance. But chances are he may be promoted to first if you couldn't find that other pirate first.

"My co-worker. Since we were left alone, I needed something to protect her." You knew that Gilbert knew about your sister.

"Interesting. Why were you left alone?" He resumed kissing your neck after asking you. You squeezed your fist on his shirt in response from him starting to bite you a little and started to suck on your neck. You let go of his shirt once you realized what you were doing and gripped onto the sheet.

"Do what you need to, liebe. I don't mind at all." He moved your hand on his pectoral over his nipple. "If you're going to squeeze, how about you make this enjoyable for me too?" You blushed at the thought at what was under his shirt since you blush when you see any shirtless man. But the reminder of this person shouldn't even be considered a man- he was your captor- made you stop blushing. You were not going to give him that privilege of you pleasuring him. And you were not going to let him pleasure you despite your body's actions.

"My parents were killed in a pirate raid three years ago. I couldn't do anything back then. I wanted to change that if that were to happen again." You gasped as he bit a little harder on your neck and you could feel either saliva or blood running down your neck. You squeezed your hand again in response and Gilbert let out a moan.

He stopped abusing your neck and moved up to your ear where he placed a chaste kiss on the shell of your ear.

"Good girl. Very good girl." He breathed heavily in your ear which tickled. You bite your tongue to avoid any sound from coming out. "I think that was very noble of you to try and protect your town from us. Noble but foolish. Not all pirates are like me and my crew. They could've shot you right on the spot, they could've killed everyone indiscriminately, they could have taken you mercilessly right after they knew that you were a Pure One." You held your tongue again and fought back the urge to asking what a Pure One was. You didn't want to do anything more for Gilbert.

Victoria isn't connected to Pure Ones and her life isn't dependant on the information so you have no reason to demand it now.

"I already know those things." You say bitterly. "I know it could've ended worse."

"Yes it could have. But you should be proud of your courage. I personally... reward bravery." While you were spacing out, you hadn't realized that Gilbert had removed your shirt and the back of your undergarments leaving them loose on your chest.

He placed his hand on your collar bone and was slowly rolling it down. His touch was warm and soft and you wanted to lie back and let it go down further your body. You mentally slapped yourself and you weren't just going to allow this! He may have used words that sounded better and attempted to tame your conscience but you were not going to let him pleasure you like this!

You acted on impulse, yet again, and head butted him and screamed "Stop!" He backed off a bit clutching his forehead. He straddled your legs making escape almost impossible for you. You cross your arms on your chest and glared at him as you sat up.

"That was not awesome, _."

"You can't expect me to just sit there while I let you rape me! You don't own me!"

"It isn't rape if you're enjoying it." He smirked. "And for the record," He reached into a drawer right next to the bed and rummaged around while keeping his lustful gaze on you.

"You belong to me. Do I need to repeat our terms? If you really don't want to do this..."

"No!" You cut in sharply. As much as you hated him and what he was doing to you, you will never say 'Take the town instead.'

"Good girl." He stroked your jaw line and your chin again. "You didn't flinch this time. You're learning." He was finally done in the drawer and brought out shackles and a riding crop. "How about we get on with our lesson then?" He grinned while placing the end of his crop under your chin.

"I'll teach you what it means to be with a man. If you hit me again or fight back..." He had his entire crop in your sight now as he twirled it in his fingers. "I think it goes without saying that I will be forced to use this. Please don't make me use it on your pretty skin."

You had your eyes on the shackles in his hand and you were shaking in fear.

"I hate to do this, liebe. But you were warned." He took your arm and locked it in a cuff. The locks were easy to undo, they weren't unlike clips on a bracelet but you couldn't undo them with one finger alone.

He slid the chain around the bed post and locked your other wrist, exposing your chest to him.

"If you be good, I promise I'll release you. Now, let's get started, shall we?"

You threw him a venomous glare before he threw himself on you, claiming your lips again, slowly devouring you through odd warmth. You weren't going to let him break you. You weren't going to give yourself completely to him. You were going to stay strong and prevent as much injury to yourself as you could. You had to. For Victoria's sake if not for your own. She wouldn't be too pleased if you came back hurt beyond repair.

You winced and cried in pain as his hand ran down your side. He broke the kiss and you were cringing in pain. You had forgotten you were cut and right now it stung like hell. It wasn't deep but it stung.

You tried to get your knees as close as you could to your body as a natural reaction but with Gilbert holding them together with his own legs, that wasn't going to happen.

"What's wrong? Oh, right..." Gilbert smirked again. "I cut you in our fight. I'm sorry. Since I was the one to hurt you, I'll be the one to heal you." He got off you and went to a cabinet next to his desk which was across from the foot of his bed.

"Don't you have a medic or something? I don't trust you for any medical treatment." You immediately regret opening your mouth. He was just going to twist your words.

"We don't need a medic. Besides, what kind of person would I be if I let someone else touch you?" He said as he opened the cabinet.

'You'd be less of a douche.' You bite your tongue to prevent any further outbursts. He pulled out a bottle and sat beside you on the bed.

"What is that?" You asked shakily.

"Whiskey. I prefer beer but it's a waste to use beer for medical treatments. I'm warning you right now, this isn't going to be pleasant but I'll try to be gentle."

'That's right. The town's healer would use alcohol to clean wounds when he was out of herbs or medicine. Not the best treatment but it gets the job done.'

You hoped that he would make this quick. You had applied alcohol to yourself when you cut yourself a few times at work and you knew it wasn't going to be pretty. You told yourself over and over that you will not scream.

It just occurred to you that he hasn't gotten any sort of cloth. Did he forget- 'Ohmygod!'

You eyes widened as he took a swig of the whiskey and leaned over to the side of your neck that he hasn't touched yet.

He found the small cut at the base of your neck and engulfed it. You felt a warm fluid splil from his mouth and your cut stung even more when it came in contact with the fluid and when his tongue ran over the cut. But the sting faded eventually and all you can feel was warmth. Gilbert pulled away and kissed your cheek.

"You're doing very well, liebe. Just a little longer and I promise you'll feel much better." He did the same to your forearms and your side. You tensed up when he went down to your stomach but didn't make and sound when he was doing it. You kept your eyes shut and tightened your fist as you bear the pain.

When he was done, he met his eyes with yours again.

"You're so quiet, liebe." He pulled out your hair tie with one hand while undoing his shirt with the other.

"Usually am." You mutter.

"Well, I can easily fix that." He ripped his shirt off and kissed you passionately leaving you in a daze. If it weren't for the shackles, you would probably fall over. He slipped his tongue in your mouth, trying to dominate yours but you weren't making it easy.

The bitter taste of the whiskey made you move your tongue away where you could but it was useless as Gilbert had dominated your mouth. He stroked your tongue which you found it to be kind of a weird feeling and dubbed it disgusting. You were doing your best not to vomit or bite his tongue off.

He slipped his hand in your pants which made you gasp in his mouth which he swallowed happily. Your face was getting warm and the streak of red returned.

"That did the trick." You felt him smirk against your lips and once you were apart you gasped "Stop… Stop it."

"Nein. We're not done yet." He unties the sash on your waist and slips off your pants. "Besides, you seem to be enjoying it."

You try to close your legs but he pries them back open with hardly any effort.

'It's useless.' You squeezed your eyes shut as his hand continued to travel down. 'Just make this effing quick.'

He plunged two fingers inside in you, making you let out a small scream. You squirm and thrash until Gilbert holds you against the wall. You stop yourself from screaming but tears were threatening to spill out of your eyes.

"Shh. It's alright." Gilbert kissed the corner of your eye as he plunged his fingers in and out, scissoring them as he went out.

"You have to relax, _."

How could anyone relax in a situation like this? You don't even know him let alone love him and you aren't getting anything for putting up with this. You remind yourself why you're even doing this: for her sake. What if she was in your place?

No, you didn't even want to think about that. You wouldn't allow it. You would be the cause of the apocalypse before that would happen.

Gilbert went deeper into you and he hit your sensitive spot, sending waves of pleasure throughout your body. It was like a warm tingling sensation pulsing through everything. The source of the warm fire was in your stomach.

You weren't going to let this take you. You weren't going to give in to him. Other than a whimper in pain and a couple of gasps, you didn't give him any sound of satisfaction much to his frustration.

Your body relaxed and collapsed as you reached your climax, save for your arms and upper torso which were suspended by the shackles. Your body never felt so... alive. It was starting to hurt for him leaving you. You had to have him back. Now.

No! This was so wrong! You were doing this to protect her. Nothing more. You won't let him take more.

You turned your head to your wrists which burned from the shackles rubbing against them.

"You want me to undo them, liebe?"

You barely nodded.

"Beg for me. Then I will."

That was the last straw. You didn't beg. You negotiated but you never begged. There was nothing to negotiate so there was no point, you were going to lose it either way.

You threw him a venomous glare as your last defiant act. He won't do it now but you weren't going to give him anything he could take.

"You've got nothing... to make me." You snarl.

He smirked again and drew you into a bruising kiss.

"Have it your way." He pressed his body against yours and thrust himself into you, breaking your barrier which was cause massive pain.

Another scream slipped out of your mouth and he swallowed it with another kiss.

The pain once again shifted to pleasure and you had never felt so good in all your life. The spell he had over you was so intense, you weren't sure that you were going to stay true to yourself and grip on to your will. You managed to stop your screams and possible moans from slipping out but it was too intense.

"_. Say my name." Gilbert panted. "Scream it. So the world knows who you belong to."

'No! I won't do it! I won't! I'm not-ah! YOURS!'

You opened your eyes to meet his hypnotizing red ones.

"Scream it." He said again, thrusting into you. You couldn't help it. Your body went against your will.

"Gil...bert." You barely whispered as you gasped again.

"Louder."

"Gilbert." You said in a clear voice followed by a gasp as he made another wave of pleasure pulse through you.

"Louder!"

"Gilbert!" You used up every bit of your leftover strength to scream his name.

He kissed you passionately and you did not struggle whatsoever. He started to undo your shackle as he pulled out of you, leaving your arms to fall automatically around his neck. You never felt so ashamed of yourself. You were so weak, you couldn't keep your will strong, you couldn't save your town, you couldn't save your sister.

No, a reassuring voice in your head told you, everyone has their limits. You did the best you could. You held on for this long. You saved hundreds of lives and negotiated their safety, you saved your sister's life, you didn't give in-

'Shut up!' You snapped in your head. 'Yes, everyone has their limits. Mine are too low. I need to change that. Next time, I'll be the one who'll win.'

"Good girl, _. You survived your first lesson. But we're not quite finished yet."

He moved down to the base of your neck biting a little harder than usual and sucking on his mark, claiming you as his. You grasped his hair gently as he was doing the deed. When he was done, you removed your arms from his neck and held them against your chest.

Gilbert pulled the quilt over you and wrapped his long strong arms around you and pulling you towards him so that your head was against his chest.

"Gute Nacht, _." He said as he kissed your forehead.

The uneasy sickening feeling briefly returned before sleep welcomed you.


	3. Chapter 3

You spent the next few days in Gilbert's quarters. He said that you were free to go on deck as you pleased but you wanted nothing to do with the crew. You weren't ready to face them. They raided your town, they didn't kill anyone but they hurt a few of your people, and they hurt your sister. You knew the second you were on deck and if you saw those two pirates who slapped your sister in the face and said that you and her should die, you would give them the black and blue treatment when you got the chance.

This situation was testing your patience and your way of thinking. You weren't sure of what you should do but the one thing you were sure of was you had to make sure you stay alive. Meaning you shouldn't cause trouble. You had to learn to think things through. You had time. Now was as good as any to learn to improve your self control.

Gilbert had a small library in the corner of his room which you had a look at on the fifth day of solitude. The past three days, you were feeling unwell after you had sex with him. You were sick to your stomach and your lower body ached. Being sick might've been caused by other reasons as well but still, you were sick. Once you were able to walk alright, you only walked around Gilbert's room to see if you could find any clue of what he is after.

You browsed through the books and half of them were in a foreign language. You could get a gist of what a couple of words mean because they were similar to English but you didn't understand enough to know what the books were about. The books that were in English were all novels. You have heard of them but never really had a chance to read them.

You pulled out one of the foreign books and scanned through them to see if there were any pictures that could give you a clue of what they were about. So far, all the ones you have skimmed appeared to be novels as well.

Gilbert came in to check on you a few times. He wrapped his around you from behind you and pulled you closer to him. You heard him come in but did nothing to fight back. This was also a test of your patience. You loathed him for everything he is, a conceited pirate who has little to absolutely no regard for others just to suit his desires. His appearance and 'acts of kindness' do NOT make up for what he did to you and what he did to your sister.

"You look better today, liebe." He smirked.

"Better. Not the greatest. It's my first time on an actual ship." You say without turning around.

"You'll get used to it. I was just thinking… What you could do on my ship. Even though you're my… guest, I will not allow free loading. Unless… You're willing to work at night with me?"

'Fuck no, bastard!' You spat in your head and you bit your tongue from shouting at him. You scowled and turned your head away so he wouldn't see but you had a feeling that he knew.

"What kind of work do you have in mind?" You ask coolly.

"Let's see… You can help my men improve their sword fighting skills. Show them some of your techniques that you have shown me. Or you can help with kitchen duties. Or you can be on lookout duty."

Lookout duty did sound interesting. You loved to climb things and go to high places. You could see things for miles without anything blocking your way and with the wind blowing in your face and against your body, it gave you the feeling that you were flying. But… Like you thought earlier, you weren't quite ready to face the crew.

"I-I… will help out in the kitchens." You worked in the town's bakery and you knew how to cook and clean professionally.

"Alright. But if I need you for something else, you will come immediately. Is that understood?" He turned your head to face him. You no longer had your scowl and you nodded.

"Good girl.~ I have some duties to attend to before I can join you and the crew for breakfast. So… how about a kiss?"

You glared at him then turned your head and scoffed.

'Listen to him and you won't get hurt. Stay alive. For Victoria.' He was about to make you turn your head but you beat him to it and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Heh. Nice try liebe. A _real_ kiss. I want to see how much you've learned."

You placed your hands on his jaw line and attempted to kiss him the way he kisses you. You had a long kiss where your lips were interlocked and when he opened his mouth a bit, you didn't know what to do and you broke it off.

"Not bad. There's plenty of room for improvement. Oh yes, I just remembered… Maybe we should get you some different attire to wear." Gilbert points to your clothes that you had been wearing for days. You wore a long sleeve button up blouse covered by a navy blue corset like vest, black pants and black boots.

"No thank you. I…" 'Think, brain THINK!' "If I use anything really long it… might catch fire. That's one of the safety standards at my bakery."

"Nice try." Gilbert chuckled. "That wasn't a request." Damn it all! Then what WAS a request? You had no problem wearing dresses but it was just another way he could have easy access to your body if he wanted to.

"Fine." You whipped your head around glaring at him. "But you have to answer my questions! What is a Pure One and why do you need me? I have the right to know that much." You backed up against the wall when Gilbert came toward you and slammed his hand against the wall.

"You should know better than to speak to me in that tone, (Name)."

"I'm still furious at you and I'm not an object you can use as please. It's quite difficult for me not to yell at you and apparently, this is the best I can do right now." You growled and took a deep breath to ask again in a calmer tone. "I'll ask again: What is a Pure One and why do you need me?"

"I was right. You are quite the feisty one." He smirked.

"Stop changing the subject. And I thought that you hated it when I fought back."

"On the contrary." He leaned his face closer to you. "I _love_ it. It's been a while since I had an actual challenge. You are quite fascinating, liebe. And I don't know if I should tell you. You haven't been very nice to me since we met."

"Touché." You say monotonically. "I don't take kindly to those who threaten my sister. It is for her sake alone that I went along with you." You noticed that his expression softened a bit the minute you mentioned your sister. It was no secret that she was your weakness but there was nothing that he could do to hurt her at the moment.

"I will offer you a proposal. I will answer any questions that you have to the best of my knowledge if you are less hostile towards me, such as not hitting or yelling at me or look like you're about to. But our previous terms apply."

"That can be arranged. If you answer them, then I will do my best to keep myself at bay." 'But don't think for a second I won't stop hating you after what you did.'

"Alright. Now, where do we start? Ever heard of Corazana?" You shook your head. "She was a mortal who had talents. Magic powers I guess you can call them. She had all this power which could potentially get her anything she would ever dream of. Power, wealth, immortality, you name it. But she wanted nothing to do with them. Long story short, she fell in love, had kids, and the kids inherited her powers. But they used them as they pleased. One of the things that they did was that they placed several seals all around the world protecting their precious treasures."

"And because I'm a Pure One you need me to break the seals and get you power and wealth?" Gilbert smirked.

"Clever girl. That saves me part of my explanation." Your blood was boiling inside. All this trouble for stupid power and wealth.

"But there's more. One year, there was a war with demons. All of Corazana's children combined could defeat them. And only they can bring them back. But there's a problem. After they defeated the demons, they disappeared and their powers… How would you put this… Scattered. They were passed on to those who were deemed worthy. They were given to those with a pure heart and thus were dubbed Pure Ones. They could use the powers as they please but many haven't. Many don't even know they have it. And for years, pirates have been tracking them down to use their powers. Good news is that very few have succeeded." He smirked.

"How many Pure Ones are there and how do you find them?"

"Uh… Let's see… If I remember correctly, there's about 7. Remember that stone Thomas had? There's about 4 in the entire world. I found one and I don't know about the other three. I suspect that they're either sealed or destroyed. Since most pirates don't have them, they round up those who they suspect are Pure Ones and take them to a place with a seal. You can figure out what happens after that, right?"

"So let me get this straight: The only reason that you want me is because I have powers that are keys to treasure and power that you want?"

"And the fact that you lost to me in our wagering duel." He drawled. You frown a bit and turn your head away. If you hadn't acted so rashly, would the outcome had turned for the better? Probably not. You didn't trust any pirate. If anything, chances are it could've been much worse. He takes your chin gently and tilts it up so you look in his eyes.

"There's one thing you're wrong about, liebe. Not everything is silver and gold. I'm not just looking for treasure. …There's something you should know as well. Recently, there's been rumours that someone is trying to release the demons. They can't do that if they don't have all the Pure Ones together."

So, he was trying to protect you? You quickly dismiss that thought. What pirate would have the heart to be TRULY concerned for the sake of a stranger? Not him, obviously. He only wants you for your powers and your body.

"Put it this way: You get to travel the world, see sights that you've never seen before. You can have all the wealth you want. And you'd be indirectly saving the world if you were out of that person's reach. And…" He snaked his arm around your waist and smirked. "You could have the most awesome lover as a hero's reward."

'A hero's reward, huh? Some egotistical hero YOU are.' You thought bitterly. None of that interested you. Actually, they sounded extremely interesting, they were made of what you dreamed of most. (Except for this so called 'lover'. You weren't interested in any man let alone HIM.) You would have enough wealth so that you and Victoria wouldn't have to worry. You could go to far away places and travel the world. But you never wanted them to be more than dreams. Not without Victoria. Without Victoria, it was all meaningless.

"Don't you have work to do?" You turned your head away again because you felt like bursting into tears, something you wanted to do for so long but forced yourself not to. You didn't want him to see you cry.

"That's right, I do. So, how about that kiss now?" He leaned towards you and presses his lips on yours. You try to force yourself to kiss back but gave up. You weren't in the mood to and couldn't do it. He broke apart earlier than you'd expect him to.

"I definitely need to teach you how to kiss, liebe. I suggest you get something to eat and get to work too."

He shut the door behind him and you took a few steps forward to follow him but stopped to wipe your eyes on your sleeve. You felt something warm and wet on your cheek. A couple of tears slipped out and you felt their trails. Only their trails. The tears weren't there.

You went to the other side of the room to a wash basin to erase any evidence that you were crying. You wanted to find a small corner and cry your heart out. But at the same time, you wanted to keep it all in. You had to keep your mind off things and stay strong. The best way to do that was to work.

You stepped out of the cabin for the first time in almost a week. You shielded your eyes as you stepped out into the light. Once your vision adjusted to the brightness, you were amazed to actually see how massive the ship was. Most of the crew was absent from your sight but you could hear them below. There was another ship sailing right next to Gilbert's and you watch it carefully. The last thing you need was more pirates.

You caught a glimpse of its flag and it was the flag of Spain. It amazed you that these pirates were from so far away. If they weren't pirates, you'd be all over them and interrogate them about their home. You looked around and all you could see a horizon of two shades of blue. A light blue for the sky and dark blue for the sea.

You made your way to the kitchen to have an uncomfortable atmosphere greet you as all eyes were on you as you were walking through the aisle to get some breakfast. You kept staring ahead of you to avoid scanning the dining hall for those two pirates you have to settle a score with.

"Vee~, Good morning, bella! Gilbert was right, you ARE cute!" You look to the source of the voice and find a cheerful boy in front of you that looked slightly older than Josh. He had short auburn hair that parted in the middle of his forehead and had an odd curl that stuck out on the right side of his head. He was also wearing a white and blue sailor suit.

He cringed a bit in fear because you had your glare but you softened your expression because you swore you saw Victoria in him. Despite that they were two entirely different people, you swore up and down that he was Victoria.

"… Good morning." You say. You felt very conflicted about this person. You wanted to squeeze him to death because he was so adorable. But he was a member of the crew and therefore, a pirate. He relaxed a bit when you appeared to be less threatening but he was stuttering upon speaking.

"W-would y-you like s-s-some breakfast?" He smiled nervously.

"Yes please."

"Hear that, boys? The little filly's hungry." One of the crew members jeered. You scowled again but didn't turn around. The boy in front of you ducked behind the counter and you could see the top of his head and his odd curl that sticks out.

"You know, I'm not going to bite you." You lean over. "Are you the cook?"

"S-s-si. What can I get you?" He popped up a little bit.

"Oh. Right. Food. Could you get me some toast? And I just wanted you to know that I've been assigned to kitchen duty. So I'll be working with you."

"Okay." He carefully rose from behind the counter. "My name's Feliciano. Would you like to eat with me?" He asked quietly, still nervous. You were about to ask him to repeat himself when you heard a familiar voice and your body tensed up. It was that pirate who hit your sister.

"Hey girly, if you're hungry, why don't you join us? We can feed you." He drawled and other members of the crew were hooting. You clenched your teeth and tightened your fist. You were pretty sure you were going to slug him once he was in range. You were going to get your wish as he approached you. You had your fist waiting.

"So where have you been all this time? We were starting to forget we had a lassie aboard."

"How about we keep it that way?" You growl.

"It's hard to. You've got quite the set of lungs and we want to see you for ourselves." You felt a twinge of rage and embarrassment run through you. Apparently he heard you and Gilbert that night and you scream his name.

"Yeah, apparently I do. And I also have a sharp tongue. Would you care for a demonstration?" You stepped up to him and looked at him directly in the eye. You had plenty of things to say to him.

"Gladly." He gripped your chin and threw a wicked grin at you. You pulled away and punched him quickly on the face.

"Don't touch me you bottom feeding scumbag! One step closer and there's PLENTY more where that came from!"

"Oh, we've got a fighter here, boys." He smirked while holding his cheek.

"That's right. And I'm just saving that for YOU. Three guesses why."

"Vee~ No fighting!" Feliciano threw himself between the two of you with his arm spread out. "We're all friends here, so there's no reason to be a meanie pants to each other. And it's not nice to hit a pretty lady."

"You're lucky Feli's here, wench. Don't think I won't report you to the captain."

"See that you do, bastard."

"No name calling!" Feliciano frowned at him and you. He got you your toast and led you to a table that was reserved for him that was away from the crew.

"You shouldn't have intervened." You say to Feliciano. "You've could've been hurt."

"Vee~ But what about you? You shouldn't fight them. They may seem really mean and scary but they won't hurt you."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe. You never know what to expect from pirates other than they are not to be trusted." You say as you spread some jam on your toast. "I have a perfectly good reason to punch him anyway."

"It's not very nice you know." Feliciano tilted his head slightly.

"You were there that night weren't you? He hit my sister. I don't forgive those who hurt her." You shifted your eyes to the crew and scowled.

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't know you had a sister. I didn't even leave the ship when we went to shore so I don't know much of what happened that night." Oh. You debated whether or not to fill him in. "But… If someone hit my fratello, I wouldn't be very happy either. So I can understand."

"Fra…tello?" You raise an eyebrow. You felt a little more at ease with that being said from him but you still felt uneasy about him. He was a pirate, wasn't he?

"Oh, sorry. I have a brother. We're twins but he's older. He works on Big Brother Antonio's ship. He might stop by since they're gonna be sailing with us for a while."

"Really… How long have you two been working with pirates?"

"Oh. I don't know. A very long time. They're like family to us. If anything, we owe them our lives."

'More like blackmailed…' You thought bitterly.

"You look like you don't like them. Why? They're good people, honest." Feliciano put his hand on yours. "Don't you believe me?" You looked into his amber eyes and they were so big and adorable, it reminded you of a puppy. The way he was trying to make peace with everyone, it reminded you of Victoria as that is exactly what she would do to prevent any injuries to either party.

"How can I? Pirates are dirty, lying cheaters who have no regard for the lives they're destroying. They haven't given any reason for me to trust them."

"But… Do you trust me? I wouldn't do anything to hurt a new friend." You looked up at him. You honestly didn't want to trust him but with his resemblance of your sister, you couldn't bring yourself to hate him.

"You… want to be friends?" You said slowly, still wary of him. Even though you were well known throughout the town, you didn't really have anyone to call a friend. They were either acquaintances or coworkers. You didn't have time for friends since that night when you and Victoria were forced to live on your own. Your friends in your old home were either among the ones who were killed or you never heard from them after you left.

"Yes, I'd like to! That is… if you want to." He said nervously. You couldn't help yourself. He was so much like your sister, there was no way you could bring yourself to dislike him in any way.

"Alright. Should we try this again?" You held out your hand and smiled at him. It was the first time you had smiled since you were brought here and it made you feel warm inside. "My name's (Name)."

"Feliciano Vargas. You know, (Name), you're a lot prettier when you smile. You're less scary." He smiled back as he shook your hand in a gentle grip.

You gave a small laugh. He really was adorable and you thought it might be good to actually have someone to talk to. You sat there in awe. How can such a sweet boy like him end up with all these pirates?

* * *

><p><strong>Alrighty! We're getting started with the plot! FFF-YEAH! (I really should work on Another Hetalia Fairytale or Heart of Italia ^^; Or homework... (BAH!)) <strong>

**If you skipped the last chapter, I apologize for making Prussia a douche. It seems to work at the moment.**

**Here's the copied notes/comments from last chapter:**

**I like pirate insert stories but I don't like the fact that the reader falls in love with the guy right off the bat. And if you had to exchange yourself for the sake of a loved one at the mercy of a pirate, I don't see how you would fall in love right off the bat, there's bound to be some hatred. Before you even think about liking them.  
><strong>

**But I will tell you guys right now, you won't be hating Prussia forever, no matter how hard you try. He hasn't reached 'the point of no forgiveness ...EVER' so there's still hope for redemption.  
><strong>

**If you guys are interested, I'll be posting a couple of sketches from this story on my DA account later, the link to my account is on my profile, I'll post them later so keep checking back if you are interested.  
><strong>

**As always, thank you to those commented, faved or generally read and or liked this story. And for flamers... GTFO. (kidding)**

**You don't have to like this story, I'm not forcing you to but any kind of feedback is appreciated!**

**Enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

After you finished your toast, you followed Feliciano into the back where he showed you where everything was. You found mountains and mountains of plates, pots and pans and very little silverware was used, to your disgust. After 19 of being raised with table manners, it was extremely odd to find the cutlery hardly used despite that there was more than enough to go around, you were shocked to see that there were more dirty plates than three times the amount of people on this ship, and you couldn't believe the amount of work that was in store for this poor boy. Good thing you chose to help here instead of lookout duty.

After you started to heat some water for the wash basins, you told Feliciano about yourself because he asked you to. You gave a summary of your life within five minutes, since there wasn't much to say or that you wanted to say.

Feliciano, or Feli which he asked you to call him, started talking and hasn't finished yet. You figured it was a good four hours straight of him talking. You managed to finish the mountain of dishes and now you were helping Feli prepare supper.

'Does this kid even have time to breathe between words?'

He was talking rapidly and excitedly in which you replied politely with occasional words of interest such as 'Really?' and 'then what happened?'

You picked up the major details about him through the massive information he gave. He and his brother were 15, he's known Gilbert all his life but Gilbert took him under his wing and became a member of the crew 6 years ago, when his home was attacked by pirates. His brother joined Antonio's, Gilbert's friend who acted like a big brother to Feli and his brother, crew after befriending him and as a result, they don't see each other for a while.

'I don't believe that guy raised Feli. How is that even possible when Feli's the complete opposite of him?'

Unfortunately for you, he started talking about Gilbert to which you didn't really respond to.

"You know, I think Gilbert likes you. He said that you were cute and that you were really interesting and you were a good kisser."

'Bastard.'

"No, Feli. He doesn't like me at all." You sigh. How were you going to explain this?

"Vee? But you kissed and you had... what is that word Big Brother Francis used? Inter-"

"You don't need to finish that." You say hastily as you covered Feli's mouth with your hand. 'Note to self, strangle the albino bastard for telling him about that night.' "... That meant nothing. If anything... I... hate him for it." You say quietly. Feliciano let out a cry of shock.

"Vee? Y-you d-don't? But I thought..."

"Don't take this personally, Feliciano. I respect that you admire him and that he is a good person to you but... I hate him for what he did to me and my sister." Everything came out all at once. You couldn't hold it in anymore, you had to let this out. You were furious, you were scared, and you had to cry. You had to release your uneasy conflicting emotions. You turned your head away as tears rolled down your cheeks. You brought your hand to your mouth to silence your sobs as you leaned against the wall.

Feli was unsure of what to do and gave you a hesitant hug which you barely returned.

"(Name), you'll be alright, trust me." He smiled at you. "You'll be okay. You said that you have a sister right? Gilbert wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

"He already did. He took me away from her. It's only for her sake that I am here." You didn't want to upset or disrespect Feli. You wouldn't have cared about his feelings if he wasn't so much like your sister. You honestly respected the fact that Gilbert was someone Feli looked up to but that doesn't change how you see Gilbert. You saw him as a pirate who will stoop to any level to get to what he wants.

"But... I'm sure he's really sorry. He'll bring you back to her, he'll make sure that you're together again. I'm pretty sure that he won't like seeing you being sad."

"How do you know?" You wiped your eyes on your sleeve and looked at him.

"Because he told me. You see, he has a little brother too and knows what it's like to lose a sibling. His little brother is my best friend too." Gilbert has a brother? That's surprising. Was he here as well? No wait, there was more. Feli said that Gilbert lost him.

"But 6 years ago... when we were attacked, Ludwig was captured while protecting me and my brother. He led us to Gilbert's ship and was about to follow us but he was captured before he could join us. They cast a spell on him and this... thing came out of his body. He was-is still alive but the man who has him says that he won't give Ludwig back unless we found a ...Pure One... Is that right? Is that what it's called?"

You think back to what Gilbert said to you earlier and you finally understood what he meant. He was looking for his brother. But who was the one that took him? And what was your role in all of this?

"Wait- hang on, what did that pirate look like? Do you remember?"

"Erm... Only that he had really thick eyebrows. And his eyes... They weren't human. They were gold… Much like a demon."

'Well, that was helpful.' You sigh. "What about that thing that came from Ludwig?" You asked cautiously.

"It was... Something silver... I couldn't really explain it but it was like vivid smoke that was really warm. After it left his body, it came to me and went through me. It felt... really nice. It was warm and strong and kind like Ludwig. It's like as if he's here with me... all along. I sometimes see him too. Oh, sorry, I'm trailing off." He laughed. That part was a little weird but it was sweet. It sounded like as if Ludwig was protecting Feli or something. Part of you felt sympathetic towards Gilbert but it was quickly withdrawn when you reminded yourself that you hated him.

Feli's description of that spell sent a chill down your bones. It was the same spell that was used on your mother and several other people that you saw in your dream. There was a connection between the two incidents, you were sure of it.

"I think... We may have a common enemy." You said slowly as you had a distant gaze. "That's what happened to my mother. But her body vanished when a silver smoke came from her body. ... Where's the captain? I need to see him."

"He might still be with Big Brother Antonio." You dried your hands quickly and started to head out to find Gilbert.

"Hey, (Name)."

"Mm?"

"Do you... think you can forgive Gilbert? I know you said you hate him... You don't have to like him, I won't hold anything against you if you don't like him just… Please don't hurt him more than he already has been."

You frown a little as you were thinking. Was it actually possible to forgive him after he tore you and your sister apart and practically raped you? But he did spare your sister and seemed to have a bit of a soft spot when she was mentioned, you were sure of it. You noticed his expression when you requested to say goodbye to her and when you brought her up again this morning. You turned your head back to Feli.

"I..." You were unsure how to explain this. Your own methods of thinking were difficult to explain even to yourself. "...I won't forgive people who hurt my sister. However, if he truly wants me to forgive him and he fixes some of the damaged he caused on his own accord, then I do believe in second chances." 'Although it's not bloody likely.' "Hey, Feli? Thanks for listening."

"Vee~ Anytime, Bella!"

"I'll be back soon to help out." You said as you left the kitchen.

You ran up the stairs and scanned the deck for the albino. There were crew members all over the place although most of them weren't working. You received a couple of stares and wolf whistles which you ignored and continued your search.

By no means were you interested in spending any unnecessary time with him but if your hunch is correct, then you need his help. If Gilbert was looking for the same pirate that attacked your home that night, then you would join him in his search. While you were looking around, you were thinking of how to approach him. If you came on too strong and demanded an answer… You could see a repeat of that night coming worst case scenario. If you appeared to be too shy… HELL NO! You went through enough humiliation thank you very much. You weren't going to be submissive to him in any way.

Then you finally came up with a solution: try to start a conversation and bring it up. But don't lose your temper. You thought it over carefully and that was the best solution. If it was, you had to train. You had to improve your fighting skills if you were going to make that pirate pay.

"Hey, lassie! What'cha doing up here?" An older member of the crew smiled good naturedly and put a hand on your shoulder which you removed.

"Don't touch me. … I'm looking for the captain. Have you seen him?"

"Oh… Can't get enough of him, can you?" You gave him an icy glare.

"No. It's business. Which does not concern the crew." You say monotonically as if you were in the marketplace and trying to bargain. "Where can I find him?"

"He's still talking with Antonio on the other ship. He's taking longer than anticipated. Maybe he is staying for some drinks."

"Thanks." You say as you head to the connection plank between the ships.

"Hang on, lassie. Last I heard, they're going over battle plans so it might not be best for you to interrupt them at the moment."

"How much longer do you think they'll be?"

"Hard to say." You sighed. You knew this was really important but you thought the best thing to do would be not to bother him now.

"Lassie, do you mind telling me what this is about? I can probably convince him to see you quicker if you need to."

"No, no. It's fine. It can wait." You went back down to the kitchens to help Feliciano again. This was going to be a long wait. You weren't really paying attention to what was in your way and you bumped into Feliciano.

"Watch where you're going, you damn jerk!" You jump back a bit and had your fist ready. This wasn't Feli and whoever they were, they had a worse attitude than you. He turned to face you and you saw Feli's eyes glaring back at you but the owner of those eyes looked a little different than him. He wasn't wearing the same clothes and his hair was a darker shade.

"Fratello! Be nice to (Name)! She's our new friend!" Feli came from behind the counter and scolded him.

''Our' new friend? Sorry, I only agreed to be yours. No promises for anyone else. I'd rather not have anymore attachments since I don't plan on staying here.' You thought.

"(Name)? Isn't that a girl's name? What kind of weird ass potato jerk did that jerk recruit this ti- Oh crapola…" He got a really good look at you and you saw his face soften instantly to embarrassment and remorse. "I-I'm sorry, I thought you were part of that potato lover's crew. How… When? Wh-wha?" He was fumbling with his words while turning red.

'Well… he certainly is charming.' You chuckled to yourself while your eyebrow twitched. Was there any sane person here?

"(Name), this is my fratello, Lovino. Lovino, this is (Name). Gilbert brought her along with us about a week ago."

You nodded your head slightly in acknowledgement but didn't say anything.

"Why would that jerk bring you along?" Lovino frowned slightly. "Doesn't he know how dangerous it could be?"

"Long story short, I was identified as a Pure One." Lovino froze instantly.

"Is that so? Out of all people… Why does it have to be someone like you?"

"Apparently the universe has a very odd sense of humour and likes to screw with me." You crossed your arms and leaned against a pillar.

"Well… I'm kind of glad he found you before that English bastard we've been hunting down for a few years did." Lovino said.

"Yeah… I suppose it could be worse. … Feliciano's been telling me about you. You work on another crew?" Talking about this subject made you uneasy. You had no idea what was in store for you and you didn't know how to prepare yourself.

"You bet! First mate! Although Antonio can be such a jerk, it's annoying." He huffed.

"Vee~ Big Brother made you first mate? That's so nice of him!" Feli smiled. Lovino glared back at him which made Feli jump and duck behind the counter.

"I wasn't talking to you!" He snapped back. You were shocked. How could he treat his brother like that? Feliciano was just joining in the conversation and Lovino just snapped at him for no reason. You would never do that to Victoria and if you did accidentally snap during a mood swing, you would apologize repeatedly. So far, there was no form of remorse from Lovino.

"Hey! You can't talk to him like that!" You glare at Lovino.

"He's my brother, I can say whatever I want to that idiot."

"You can't just-!" You raise your voice but then it dies down in resignation. "Sorry. I… I just need to go outside for a while to clear my head." Feliciano wasn't Victoria. He wasn't even related to you and this was his real brother so you don't really have a right to butt in. You shouldn't protect him like this anyway, should you?

"Okay! Take your time, (Name)! I'll be okay on my own if you can't work." He popped up from the counter as if he wasn't hurt by Lovino at all.

When you were back on the deck, the crewmen didn't really notice your presence. You went to the staircase to the stern of the ship and sat down toward the side as far as you could so the crew can come and go up if they needed to.

You stared at the endless dark blue waters and the grey sky. You never thought that you would dislike traveling despite that you had always wanted to explore the world. It was too quiet here. You missed the liveliness of your home, you missed the familiar sights, smells and the atmosphere. At home, even though you weren't particularly close to anyone, pretty much everyone was on good terms with you and you felt welcomed and safe. Here, it's painfully awkward and distant and it was quite frightening to face the reality that you were alone.

What hurts even more is that what little company you do have, you can't trust them. Even Feliciano. Despite his resemblance to Victoria and his offer to be your friend, you couldn't trust him. You could be hurt even more so it may be best to not get too close to anyone.

You did a quick scan of the ship and still no sign of the albino pirate. You sighed and hugged your knees to your chest as you look around the ship, trying to find something to occupy your mind. You closed your eyes as the wind was blowing softly on your face and you listen to the sound of the waves. So far, in your mind, you were at home… your real home, sitting on the dock fishing while you were waiting for your father to come back from work. Although you knew that you probably wouldn't catch any fish, since they were all in the deep water where your father was, you liked to sit on the dock and watch the waves and clouds roll by.

Your mind shifts to one day that is both vague and vivid in your mind. Your mother was taking care of supper and she told you to go play. It was really busy at the docks, lots of ships came in and you couldn't go fishing in your spot. You wandered around town trying to find another fishing spot where you could see the ocean and see your father's fishing boat. No matter where you went, it was always too crowded or there was not enough room for you.

You found one area that was secluded from the rest of the town, it was halfway to the lighthouse. It was quiet enough and a couple of perfect sided rocks were sticking out in the water. You could easily climb down to them, you just had to be careful not to fall in. After casting your rod, you were amazed by the movement of the waves. You have never seen them this big before. And that's when it hit you that was a HORRIBLE idea to come fishing down here.

Before you could climb back up, a massive wave pulled you off the rock and threw you into the water. You were tumbling around, darkness enveloping your sight but your body was thrashing around trying to reach and grasp the surface. You found yourself sinking into deeper water then suddenly, there was a flash of light and next thing you knew, you were looking up at a boy who was kneeling next you. Your vision adjusted to see… red eyes?

You snap your eyes wide open as the albino was only a nose length way from your face.

"Gah!" You sit up and press your back against the railing in shock. "Don't you ever use normal methods to wake me up?" You glare at him.

"Aw, you're no fun, liebe. I was hoping I could kiss you to wake up." He smirked.

"Doesn't work. Not even in the stories." You say.

"Of course it does! Haven't you ever read Fairy Tales?"

"Yeah. And the ones that I read, the person can only wake up by retrieving some object." Gilbert chuckled.

"You really are a strange one, liebe. Mind if I enjoy the view with you?"

"I… uh… fine." You sighed as he wrapped his arm around you and pulling you closer to him. You were going to use the excuse that you were going to help Feliciano in the kitchens but you did agree to not fight Gilbert to save yourself trouble. That and you wouldn't be able to go anywhere anyway.

"You're a naughty girl, (Name). You shouldn't slack off on your duties. There's always something to do until sunset if you're assigned to something." You turn your head and you could see a half deep orange sky under the grey cover of clouds. How long were you asleep?

"I just needed some air and I dozed off." You reply calmly. "It probably won't happen again."

"Nien, liebe." He smirks and tilts your chin slightly. "It won't happen again. There's no probably about that. What if we ran into trouble when we arrived at our destination and you had to keep watch at night, hmm?"

"Wha-?" You raised an eyebrow and before you could finish, he pressed his lips against yours.

"Gotcha." He smirked and you turned red and turned your head away. This is the… 15th kiss since that night and this was the second one that caught you off guard. (You weren't counting just for the fun of it.) The other times, you were able to avoid him and unintentionally played 'hard to get'. He was able to kiss you when he glared at you like he meant business if you didn't yield after a while of you avoiding him. The other times, you weren't up for avoiding him and just let him have what he wants. The good news was that he didn't really try anything extreme since that night. He only kisses you and touches your upper torso except for your chest.

"You're so cute when you're sleepy, (Name)." He smiled childishly. You had your head turned from him while you were still blushing. "And you looked like you were having a pleasant dream. Care to share?"

'NO. Why should I, arrogant bastard?'

"I usually don't remember my dreams. Just-" Oh crap. Stupid mouth. Never say 'just' after finishing a sentence. You were getting better but your brain barely functions at all after you just wake up. Meaning it doesn't comprehend the strict instructions you forced upon yourself in order to keep your life as private as possible. "Just… bits and pieces."

"Oh really? And what do you remember?" You sighed silently and figured you might as well come clean. He's going to pester you one way or the other.

"My home. Before it was attacked." Your eyes went distant as they gazed on the sunset that was peeking out of the clouds. "I would always go fishing while waiting for my father to come back to shore. One time, my usual fishing spot was taken over for a few hours and I wasn't very patient so I went to look for a new one for the day. But the spot I found wasn't very safe because the waves that came in were very large and I almost drowned. I don't remember who saved me though… Might as well been part of a dream." You mumble the last part.

"Was this recently?"

"No, about… Ah geez." You counted with your fingers for about a few moments. "Thirteen years ago."

"So then… We were the second pirates to attack your home."

"Mm." You barely force out. You suddenly remember what you wanted to talk to Gilbert about. "Would you… happen to know them?" You turned your head back to him and tried to get rid of your glare.

"Depends. What do you remember from them? Did you see the ship or anyone who might be the captain?"

"The captain. He-he… He had messy blonde hair, bushy eyebrows and… I think…" You scrounge your eyes shut as you try to remember the sound of his voice. He had some sort of accent that you know but can't think of the nationality.

"An English accent?" Gilbert finished.

"Yes. That's it!" Gilbert's face darkened a bit.

"Yeah. I know 'im."

"You do?" You break free from his grip and jump up spontaneously. "Who is he? How often have you crossed paths with him?" You realize that was yet again a stupid mistake. If your brain wasn't attached to your body, you would take it out and beat it black and blue. It just came out and you wanted nothing more to do with Gilbert. But if he can lead you to this pirate, then you can have your revenge on him. If Gilbert did help, you wouldn't loathe him as much as you do now but no promises on getting to be closer.

"Arthur Kirkland. And I haven't seen him as often as I like to."

"Is he… The one who took your brother?" Gilbert looked up at you and you once again would mentally beat the section of the brain in charge of your mouth black and blue until they couldn't move. "Forget I said anything!"

"No, it's fine. I suppose Feli told you, huh?" You nodded.

"Since he was the one who destroyed our home and murdered our parents, I want to be the one to deal with him." You stared at him confidently. Your fiery spirit was once again ignited with your secondary goal for revenge against the pirate that destroyed your home.

"Sorry, I can't allow that. I have first dibs on his vital regions." He stood up and paced back and forth in front of you.

'His WHAT?' You raised an eyebrow.

"Let me help fight. Since we both have a common enemy, I will be your ally. You said it yourself that I'm as good as your men." You put your hands on your hips.

"I didn't say that, (Name). I said that my men could learn a thing or two from you. I admit you have skill but it's useless when you're inexperienced."

"Then let me train. If I can't prove that I have enough experience to stand a fight against Arthur and his crew then I'll only do what you need me to as a Pure One." He stopped in front of you, meeting your eyes.

"Very well. If you can prove that you can fight very well by my standards then I'll let you fight with me against Arthur."

You felt so excited and so grateful, your whole body was numb. You couldn't stop yourself from doing what happened next. You grabbed the front of Gilbert's coat and lowered him enough to give him a passionate kiss.

"Don't expect that from me again." You say glaring at him. "I still don't forgive you and I hate you for what you did. But if you can help me find that bastard who took away my life and my sister's life, I can show my appreciation very well." You let go and start walking down to the dining hall before he could stop you.

"Heh. She is quite fascinating." Gilbert smirked as he licked his lips. "Hate filled passion… doesn't really get any better than that."

Gilbert had announced that they would be arriving at a pirate port within 6 days so his crew and Antonio's crew can get supplies before heading off to find a nearby island that has one of the sealed treasures. You easily fell asleep after eating, eagerly awaiting the next day so you could get started on learning how to prepare yourself with your encounter with Arthur Kirkland.

You didn't even care about Gilbert's affectionate touches, which you would squirm away from until you were against the wall or he would pull you closer to him. Once your excitement melted, you could start caring again and have yourself loathe him to your heart's content. But for now, you accepted him stroking your hair against your back as it helped soothe you into sleep.

Xxxxxx

"Sorry, we can't accept ladies aboard. And it's suicide to go after pirates when we're not trained for the navy."

"Please, I'm begging you!" Victoria pleaded to yet another sailor. After you were taken from home and she recovered from her short period of grieving, she gathered all of her courage to go out and find you. She did truly believe that there was some good in all people and that the pirates who took you wouldn't hurt you too much if at all. That wasn't what drove her to go on this venture. She believed that you would return and she would wait patiently for you as you kept your promises.

She saw you crying, in pain, and the worst thing of all… Just the thought of it brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't let that happen, she had to find you and make sure you were back safe. Since no one at home was willing to chase after pirates, lest they wish their lives to end prematurely, she left to the next town to sail to a bigger port where she would have better chances at finding a crew who would take the risk of facing pirates.

"My sister! My sister was taken! I have to find her before something bad happens to her!"

"Look, I'm sorry Miss but we can't take you with us." He shook his head. "The most we can do is keep an eye out for her aboard other vessels. I suggest you head home."

"But… that won't help." She hung her head and started to head to the other docks a few blocks down the street. She brushed her golden bangs out of her eyes as a gust of wind blew behind her. The gust gave her a little push forward and she ran into someone.

"Oh! Excuse me." She said timidly.

"No worries, lass. It's a bit blustery today, eh?" An older man turned his head to her. The first thing she noticed were his captivating green eyes. But they were overshadowed by huge caterpillar brows. She took a good look at him and he looked like he was strong and was some sailor. His red coat was very much like a soldier's but more… elaborate.

There was a younger man next to him who was taller and much stronger than the older one and had slick back hair. But his eyes… They were cold and lifeless. It made her a little frightened but she felt sad for him. Victoria returned her attention to the older man.

"Excuse me, are you a sailor?"

"That I am. Are you in need of my services?"

"Yes sir. You see, my sister was taken by pirates and I'm afraid something bad is going to happen to her. I asked everywhere but no one is willing to go find the pirates."

"Pirates you say? What did they take her for? Did they say why?"

"Um… They-they said something about… a Pure One?" The green eyed man had a ghost of a grin unbeknownst to Victoria while the blue eyed man just stared silently with no emotion.

"I'd be glad to accommodate your request, milady." He took Victoria's hand in a gentleman like manner and kissed it. "I give you my word as a gentleman that I will reunite you with your sister." He took off his hat and bowed.

"Captain Arthur Kirkland, at your service."

* * *

><p><strong>Whoo! I am REALLY on a roll here for this fic. And guess what~ This is the first thing posted on my new virus-free laptop! Whoo! And Photoshop Elements was saved on here too! *W* Speaking of, for those interested, I posted a sketch dump based on this fic. It's on my DA account and the link is on my profile.<strong>

**Anyway... Author's comments... I recommend that you read these after you read the chapter.**

**First of all, before anyone asks(not likely but what they hey), Victoria does NOT end up with Arthur or Ludwig, she's 14, Arthur's 23 and Ludwig is... let's see... 17. As for you and Gilbert, you are turning 20 and Gilbert's 22. (I thought I'd add the ages just for the heck of it. :3 )**

**At this point, you still hate Gilbert but are starting to get on slightly better terms since he agreed to help you get back at Arthur. That kiss was only out of gratitude and adrenaline, nothing more. (yet)**

**Also, I gave it some thought for a while and I will be taking Hetalia x Reader requests/suggestions. I had someone ask me to do a Spain x Reader so look forward to that in the next couple of weeks and if you have a request/suggestions, leave me a note or comment.**

**I know I said on my profile that requests are for friends only but I count regular requests as fully photoshopped deviations. I am opening up Hetalia x Reader requests although I will make them oneshots unless if I have some form of motivation to make it bigger.**

**And if you do request, I ask that you be patient, it does take quite a bit of time to write stuff and I also have university projects coming up right away. Like I have a paper to do this week and another one next week and I have midterms next month.**

**As always, any kind of feedback is greatly appreciated and the make me motivated to write the next chapter quicker 3 Thank you to those who supported me, read and generally like my stories! **


	5. Chapter 5

You spent the travel time to the port gathering everything you could about Arthur Kirkland. Feliciano said that the one who would know everything about him would be Antonio as he and Arthur go WAY back. Like the other pirates and crew members, you didn't trust Antonio in the very least, despite his kindness and friendly appearance. You didn't loathe him but you didn't trust him.

Antonio looked more like a farmer than a sailor. He had shaggy brown hair, a light golden tan, and emerald eyes that were full of joy although they have a hint of danger. If it weren't for his coat and his ponytail that rested on his shoulder, you would've mistaken him for a farmer. You went to the dining hall with Antonio and Lovino, eager to listen to what he has to say.

"So, you're Gilbert's chica, eh? He's a lucky guy." Antonio smiled. "You kinda look like Lovino when you glare like that, it's cute."

"Not really… He said that you know a lot about Arthur Kirkland?"

"Ah yes. It's going to be a long story though." Antonio took a deep breath and explained everything.

He and Arthur were childhood rivals and eventually became rival pirates. Even though Arthur clashed blades with Antonio, Gilbert and their other friend Francis often, there were no extreme battles between them and they were all honourable pirates.

'Honourable pirates? Give me a break.' You thought bitterly.

But Arthur suddenly changed. He gained these powers and he started attacking anyone he could discriminately. He even attacked Gilbert's home and his little brother too. Feliciano and Lovino lived in Gilbert's home since they were in diapers and became extremely close to Ludwig and Gilbert (Feliciano more than Lovino but nonetheless, they were friends). You could see Lovino's face turning red when Antonio said that. Followed by "Get on with it, you damn jerk!"

Gilbert helped Ludwig and the Vargas brothers escape Arthur's rampage but before they could get away, Arthur cast a spell that hit Ludwig. He was still alive but Arthur took him away. The last thing he said to Gilbert before he disappeared was that the only way to get Ludwig back was to find a Pure One. Antonio said that he and Gilbert were suspecting that he was after the treasures. And with the treasures, he could gain unimaginable power.

Gilbert found a stone to help him track down Pure Ones and Arthur continued attacking people in his own search for Pure Ones. Meanwhile, Antonio was trying to tail Arthur for years in attempt to get Ludwig back. There were only 7 Pure Ones in the entire world and the chances weren't great that they would find one so Antonio and Francis, their other friend you assumed, tried to track down Arthur as that was their best chance to find Ludwig.

"Hang on, if he wanted Gilbert to find a Pure One for him, then why would he continue to attack people to find Pure Ones too?"

"I think he wanted to give the potato loving jerk the short end of the stick and blackmail him further." Lovino said.

"Interesting theory Lovi. I'd say it's likely."

"DON'T CALL ME LOVI DAMMIT!"

"Gilbert said that there were rumours of someone trying to release demons. You think that could be Arthur?" You say, ignoring Lovino's outburst.

"No, he has enough sanity to not do that. Although, I wouldn't assume that isn't possible." Antonio folded his arms. "Now that you know who he is, you should be aware of how he fights. Gilbert said that you wanted to fight alongside him, right?"

"Right. But I'm only doing so because Arthur killed my parents."

"I see. I'm telling you right now, you won't stand a chance against him if you let your emotions drive your fight. You have to protect your heart otherwise he will literally snatch your heart and soul."

"You have got to be joking." You say in disbelief.

"I wish I was. Because of his powers, he has stolen thousands of souls and murdered hundreds of people while looking for Pure Ones."

"What do hearts and souls have to do with Pure Ones?"

"Well, you know a soul is silver, right?" You threw him a confused look. But it faded when you remembered you watched your mother's leave her body. You nodded as your expression softened. You revert to solemn silence and gripped your pant legs tightly.

"Well, a Pure One's powers are embedded in their soul, changing it gold. Arthur's spell releases people's heart and soul and if is gold, they are a Pure One. And stereotypically, if someone is a Pure One, they would have golden hair to match their soul. It's just a stereotype though, there's nothing to confirm that."

"Focus, bastard. That's irrelevant." Lovino said.

'So that explains why everyone that had golden hair were rounded up. But that spell that snatches people heart and soul. ...'

"That spell Arthur uses, is it possible to survive it?" You asked shakily as the image of your mother's death flashes in front of you and you will yourself not to cry.

"Ci. If you were extremely strong willed, you would survive. But you wouldn't be... you...until your heart and soul are returned. They are together but they will go into hiding. Until it is released and returned you're nothing more than a shell."

You felt rage boil within you. Not towards Arthur, but towards your mother. She could've survived. You were grateful that she sacrificed herself for you and your sister but why couldn't she hang on? If she was stronger, she would've survived and you had hope of reviving her. You promised yourself that you won't let go, or give up, no matter what. You will never be that weak.

"And that's what happened to Ludwig." Lovino said as he folded his arms. "Apparently he took refuge in Feliciano so we don't have to search the Goddamn world where he hid but the trick is to get his body back and return his soul without hurting Feliciano."

"We'll worry about that when the time comes, Lovi. But for now, Miss (Name), we have to teach you how to protect yourself against Kirkland."

"Then I'll be more than willing to learn." You sat up straight.

"Bueno. Feliciano and Lovino will help you with using and defending yourself against magic. They know some spells themselves."

'Whaaaat? They do? Maybe I should've paid more attention during Feli's four hour rant.'

"And I'm sure Gilbert and his crew will help you improve your sword fighting skills."

You nodded in acknowledgement.

Your discussion with Antonio lasted for a few hours and you spent the rest of the day attempting to learn magic from Lovino. As interesting it was, it was frustrating and difficult. It required a lot of energy just to cast a simple defensive spell that Lovino called 'Vento Rafficato' which blasted others away.

You had to keep your mind completely concentrated on casting the spell. You had to achieve a state of peace which would allow your body, mind and soul to be completely open to resonating with magic and controlling it. If you can do that, you could cast almost any spell, according to Lovino. Because you were more stubborn and skeptical than a mule by nature, it was very difficult to reach that state of peace. You were able to produce only a small gust.

Lovino praised you for trying but he was extremely frustrated that you were even more uptight than him when it came to this and you made very little progress. You spent the rest of your time travelling training with Feliciano and Lovino. Feliciano was helping you more on how to protect your mind, concealing all of your emotions so that if you had to face that spell, it would be more difficult to be affected by it. You found his exercises relatively easy considering that you naturally had a poker face when you weren't around Victoria. But you needed more work on being less reactive when provoked.

Gilbert's crew still occassionally flirted and teased you which was the perfect way to test what you have learned so far. You couldn't ignore their flirts towards you and it was beyond irritating. One of them came from that pirate you punched before and were ready for a second punching before Feliciano held you back. You were doing so well but you could only take in so much before losing it.

Finally, there was Gilbert. You didn't train with him at all, you didn't even practice your sword fighting yet. You were saving it for after you left port. You still loathed him but became more... tolerant of him. You hated to admit it but you were starting to look forward to his affections. They felt... nice. It helps take away the pain of frustration.

You felt very uneasy about all this, you knew it was wrong. You didn't love him but you wanted to have someone near to ease the pain from everything that has happened and the anxiety of what will happen. Even if it was him.

No, this is all for Victoria. You went with them to protect her. You're going after the pirate that killed your parents. This was all for her.

...

You knew you couldn't keep lying to your mind forever.

Xxxxx

After a few days, there was a strong wind in the ships's favours, accelerating the speed. According to the navigators, if things go well, you will arrive at the port by nightfall.

You went back to Gilbert's ship to find Feliciano because Lovino wanted to take a siesta and didn't want to teach you anything at the moment. You look up to the sky and the sky was a beautiful clear blue. When you turned your head to the back of the ship where Gilbert had taken the helm, you could see that dark clouds were towering in the distance.

'I hope we can make it to shore before that storm hits us.' You had a worried expression. You fixed your gaze on the clouds as you leaned against a mast. You hoped that storm wasn't too vicious if it hit your home. Victoria is terrified of thunderstorms.

Ever since that night, she's been terrified of loud noises. They all sounded like cannon fire. Like pirates. You had to admit, thunderstorms freaked you out too. If one approached, you refused to go to sleep and would stay up until it passed. A frightening thought entered your mind countless times during storms: what if it actually was pirates?

Tori. God, how you missed her. Two and a half weeks passed since you left home. You've never been on your own for this long and neither has she. But you don't regret doing this for her. You would do anything for her. Anything.

You held onto the hope that this would all be over soon. After Kirkland was defeated, you didn't really have to worry about anything else, well, except the albino bastard. Kirkland was the reason you were always living in fear. Once he was gone, you were going to go home to Victoria. You were going to take her further inland so that you won't have to worry about pirates anymore.

You wouldn't have to worry about pirates, Pure Ones, or bloodbaths. Once you were back home with her, you'd be alright. Once you forgot all this like it was a bad dream, you'd be alright. Once you forgave the albino ba-... Gilbert, you'd be alright.

It really was nice to think. Although it was torturous. Your thoughts and hopes were so close but they were just out of your reach. Who knew how long it would be until you found Kirkland? And when he is gone, how do you know that albino pirate will let you go? He won't. After all, what person would give up their trophy so easily?

You were unsure of what to think about the future. But for now, survival and training yourself were essential. That much you were sure of.

'Tori... Stay safe. I'll come home soon.'

You started singing softly to yourself.

_"I see you_

_In the back of my mind_

_I see you_

_Forever in my dreams_

_Always together_

_Never to part_

_I'll always hold you_

_Here, in my heart_

_No matter where we are_

_No matter how far apart_

_I'll always hold you_

_Here, in my heart_

_I'll... always hold you_

_Here, in my heart."_

Xxxx

The port was in sight just as soon as the storm hit. Both Gilbert's ship and Antonio's ship were having a tough time getting in and everyone had to help tie down sails and objects that may cause trouble.

Fierce winds and freezing cold rain pelted your face as you were using a pulley to help the other crew members pull up the sails. It was heavier than you anticipated and you quickly learned that wet rope was not easy to grip onto.

You told yourself over and over to hang on. Even though this was a trivial task, this was testing your endurance. You had to be stronger. You had to.

Two of the other crew members that were helping you lost their grip on the rope, leaving all the weight on you and starting to drag you forward and up. You dug the toe of your boot into a board crack and you put every amount of weight you had to keep your footing.

"Don't let go!" They called from above.

'Easier said than done.' You gritted your teeth as you carefully tightened your grip. Your arms were raised above your head and it was far from easy. To top it up, there was a loud thunderclap and you were trying your hardest not to let go out of fear.

"We need more tension here!" The sailors pulled on the rope you were half dangling from and pulled back. After a few minutes, both ships were secure and docked.

Gilbert started shouting in his foreign language quickly then the crew left the ship save for a few members who either chose or had to stay behind. Gilbert wrapped his damp red cape around you and led you off the ship.

You squeaked as there was a flash and another boom spontaneously. You squeezed your eyes shut as you kept on running alongside with Gilbert. Soon, you both arrive in a warm dry place.

It smelled very... shitty, to put it nicely. But if you could get used to a pirate ship, you can adjust here.

You open up your eyes to see a large tavern to your left and a lobby and stairs to your right. You and Gilbert were sopping wet.

"'ello. There was a scruffy looking black haired brown eyed man at the desk. "Looking for a place away from the authorities, eh?" He smirked. You knew exactly what he meant and you glared at him.

"You know me all too well, Andre." Gilbert said as he snaked his arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. You rolled your eyes and turned your head away from him.

"You've got an interesting woman, Gil." He mused. "If it weren't for her figure, with that scowl I'd mistake her as a new crew member and give her to my lovely ladies."

"You'd honestly think I'd give my fraulein to you?"

"You can have 'er. She looks a little too spicy for my taste." He threw a wink at you which you ignore. "So how many this time around, Gil?"

"Thirty from me. I lost count of how much Tonio has."

"Carriedo? Ya don't say. I'll just let the others know we're gonna have a rowdy night. Bonnefoy arrived last week, just waiting for ya. Why don't you leave your pretty one with my girls and we turn up a few pints and you tell me about your latest venture?"

The thought of spending a few hours of drinking or spending time with prostitutes didn't really appeal to you. You'd rather get some rest, even if it meant with a make out session with him. You squeeze his hand gently and meet his eyes with a much less hostile glare that you tried to say 'Please don't. I'm exhausted, I don't want to be with whores and I rather not put up with you drunk.'

"Tomorrow. I'm staying a few days to prepare so we can do this later, ja?"

"A'ight." He tossed Gilbert a key. "Corner room. There should be coal in there already. And you might want these until your clothes are dry." Andre threw a light package at Gilbert which he caught easily with his free hand.

You followed Gilbert into your room on the second floor. The stairs and the second floor creaked as you took a step, nothing new to you although it was annoying. The strange thing was that it suddenly became silent when you walked in but it echoed through the room. It wasn't much bigger than your room at home but it was more crowded. There was a fireplace on the left wall and a door that was open on the right where you could clearly see a bathroom.

What you wouldn't do for a proper bath. You felt so dirty and you used a really strange method to clean yourself on the ship. Since you were the only girl, you had to do it carefully and quickly. But now you actually have time to enjoy it.

If you were in a room of your own and you weren't so exhausted, you'd be very happy right now.

You unwrapped yourself from Gilbert's red cape, now soaked even more because of you.

"Thank you. ... I'll... go start a fire." You went over to the fire and quickly started it and swept in front of the fireplace so that your clothes wouldn't be too dirty.

"You might as well take your clothes off too liebe. You'll catch pneumonia if you're soaking wet like that." He said as he started stripping his coat and shirt making you blush and turn away. "What? He smirked and embraced you from behind, pressing his chest against your back. "You've seen me and my body."

"It's not decent! We're back in civilization and I prefer to live by the rules of society." You say the first excuse that came to your mind. And for once, it was a decent idea.

"We may be back in civilization but when you're a pirate, you don't follow rules. You follow suggestions or guidelines."

"Ok, I prefer to follow the guidelines of society." He smirked again and you mentally facepalmed yourself. You had it going but he threw you off only because you were looking for a way to get him to shut up and stop flirting with you. It was a good try but it didn't work.

"You know… By saying that, that means you're willing to be a pirate yourself."

"No it doesn't!" You turn to face him. "I draw the line at be allied with pirates, doesn't mean that I will become one."

"You step on a pirate ship, you're a pirate. It's the rules."

"Fuck." You pulled away and moaned falling face first on the foot of the bed. "I REALLY don't like you. You give me headaches! You say that you don't follow rules, you follow guidelines." You move your left arm side to side to empathize your frustration. "Then you say that you have rules that don't qualify as rules." You felt him sit right next to you on the bed.

"Yep, that's what's so fun about being a pirate. It really is an awesome life provided that you don't get caught by the navy."

"Reason Number 222 why I don't find pirate life appealing: I don't fancy being hanged. Not while my sister is still alive."

"… Good point. But if you're awesome like me, the chances of you getting caught are very low." You moaned into the mattress. 'FUCK!'

Gilbert touched your shoulder and pulled you up a little.

"Seriously, (Name). Unless if you want to be sick and lessen your chances of survival, I'd suggest you get your clothes off so they can dry. You can wear this." He handed you the bundle to reveal a nightgown which you accepted and quickly changed to in the other room and lay out your clothes in front of the fireplace.

It was a silk white nightdress with a bodice that covered most of your chest, leaving a little cleavage for show and it had a low back. The skirt was long and thin and went down to your shins with a large gap above your left leg which you suspected was used for easy access.

"Beautiful, liebe." Gilbert approached you and took your hand and kissed it. At this point, he was only wearing his boxers which made your face flush. Your heart was pounding in your chest and your stomach was in a knot. No! Bad thoughts! Bad! You will not give into lust willingly. "You know, I've realized that I've been neglecting you since you've been ill and we have been very exhausted recently."

"I don't mind much." You say passively.

"But I do." He smirked playfully as he quickly swept you off of your feet, carrying you bridal style to the bed and drew you into a gentle kiss when he sat you down.

'It feels really nice to be with him,' another voice in your head said.

It's WRONG! The only reason you're going along with this is because he's threatening Victoria. It's going to take more than his appearance and his charms to stop you from hating him in the very least.

'He has a soft spot for the fact that she is your sister. He's bluffing about threatening her.' Maybe that voice had a point. What if he was bluffing all this time? 'Besides, he's handsome, clever and very strong. And he's going to help you defeat the one who took yours and Victoria's life away. That has to count for something, right?'

No… He said that if you can prove that you can fight, you can fight alongside him. That still doesn't change the fact that he tore you apart from your sister and forced you to bed him. And what if he doesn't feel the same way? He's going to hurt you.

'He must feel something towards you, right? If he didn't and only wanted sex, he would've let you immediately go to the room and gone straight to the whores.'

That's true. But there was no way that he could feel something towards you so quickly, it's illogical. There must be something else. Why else would he not want to hurt you and why brag to everyone how cute and beautiful you are? And why would he not just literally throw you into the wolves? There's a reason why, you wanted to know what.

You lost yourself in your thoughts and you found yourself kissing him back passionately, not unlike when you kissed him the other day. He was a little more aggressive than usual, wanting dominance over you but you were not going to give it to him and it turned very passionate. You slipped your arms around his neck as you drew him closer to you.

Two could play at this game. If he was trying to draw you to him, you would do the same and change the odds to your favour. But you wouldn't give yourself to him completely. The only way that you would give yourself to him is as if he was willing to truly give his heart to you. That's what you were taught from day one of puberty. You don't give yourself to anyone unless if you were in love.

"You never cease to intrigue me, (Name)." Gilbert breathed when you broke off the kiss for air. "Always so stubborn and yet full of surprises. And I thought you said I shouldn't expect anything like this from you again."

"I even surprise myself. But this time, I won't give myself up so easily." You smirk.

"Wunderbar…" He purred as he kissed the shell of your ear. "It wouldn't be as much fun if you gave up without a struggle." He stroked your jawline and ran his hand down your hair that was tied and hanging on your shoulder and gripped onto your hair tie.

"I thought I had your tie. I was hoping you would wear your hair down for once. I think you're more likeable when you have it down."

"It's just out of habit." You say quietly.

"Well, I say that we break that habit.~" He said seductively as he slid it off and drew you into another kiss.

You aren't doing this for just Victoria's sake anymore. A voice in your head warned as you let him run his hands down the back of your neck to your shoulder blades.

You want to feel loved. You've never known love outside your family and you haven't let yourself get close to anyone because you're afraid that you'll get hurt. Why should he be any different? Why are you preparing yourself to be crushed? He's a pirate, he will undoubtedly betray you.

'... It's keeping my mind off the thunderstorm in the very least.' You answer back.

You felt ashamed for straying off the path on which you were raised on and even more so when you aren't sure whether to go back or continue on the one fate had in store for you. One thing you knew for sure: you will survive whichever you choose and come back home to your sister.

Xxxx

'What is that? Some sort of cathedral or tomb?

Victoria wandered around the captain's cabin, examining his maps and other objects that were out in the open in awe but was careful not to break anything. There were drawings and pictures on one wall and one was an alter with coffins or pedestals surrounding them done in fine detail. It was beautifully done with watercolour but it gave her an uneasy feeling.

It had been four days since they set sail and Mr. Kirkland had told her that where they were going would take nearly a month to get to. She studied and traced the route he had drawn with her finger to where there was a very tiny speck that was circled in ink in the middle of the Mediterranean close to Egypt. Mr. Kirkland had promised her that's where the pirates were headed. She told him where your home was and he said that this island was without a doubt where they were headed.

Mr. Kirkland was very nice to Victoria and has treated her like a daughter. He had a second bed ready for her in his private cabin where she could sleep on and his library was hers to use as she pleased and she was given some of the best food that he could offer her. But she was asked not to wander below deck or to question Mr. Kirkland's methods. According to him, unorthodox acts require unorthodox solutions to fix them. She trusted that he knew what he was doing and listened to everything he said.

What intrigued Victoria the most was that young man who was always silent. He would only speak when Mr. Kirkland asked him something but they were short and gruff sentences.

Mr. Kirkland was very pleasant company to be around when he wasn't busy. He would have tea with Victoria almost every day where she would have a lively conversation with him. They would exchange information about their lives and Victoria would bring up very bright conversations about you.

"Oh really? Your sister sounds like an admirable woman. I can't really think of any person, let alone any woman, who would have courage like that. She must really love you to go along with pirates, the most disgraceful human beings on the face of the earth." He growled.

"She does. Ever since my mama and papa were taken by pirates, she works so hard to protect me. I get really worried about her. She only works and tries to get stronger, she won't have time for anyone else." Victoria sighed as she placed her tea cup on the table. "If she tries too hard to get stronger, she'll break. And... I'm afraid I'll lose her because she can't protect herself."

Mr. Kirkland placed his hand on Victoria's tiny shaking ones.

"I promise, Poppet. If there's no trouble, your sister will be fine. I'll make sure she is." Victoria nodded.

Later in the day, the young man came to bring food to Victoria for supper. Before he could leave, Victoria stopped him by the arm. She couldn't bear seeing him as if he were to collapse any minute from sorrow or whatever pain he was going through.

"Ludwig... Is that it? Did I get your name right?" She heard Mr. Kirkland call him by that and she was unsure if she mispronounced something due to the difference in their accents. "You look like you're hurting. Is something the matter?"

Ludwig started to shake his head then froze up, clutched his head and bent over.

"Ludwig? Are you alright? Ludwig!" Victoria cried.

His arm slowly grabbed Victoria's shoulder in a firm grip and met his icy blue eyes to her turquoise ones.

"Don't... tr... u... im. Don't trust him." He let go and bent over as if he were doubled over in pain. "Bruder..." He gasped before returning to his usual stance mechanically like a machine.

"What's going on here?" Arthur came into the cabin. The next thing that flashed through the girl's eyes was a flash of green and violet

"TORI NO!"

* * *

><p><strong>Arthur, I'm going to kick your ass for hurting my baby! Rule number one in life, no matter what you are, NEVER get between a mother and child. (Or extremely close siblings) Unless you want an atomic ass whooping where your next 3 lives will be paraplegic. <strong>

**(Sorry, haven't had my coffee yet so I'm typing funny again)**

**Wait, I'm the one who wrote this so ... cue the comments where people are wanting to strangle me, lol.**

**Do you think I'm rushing things a bit or is this a good pace for romance buildup? / It's not technically romance yet but it's almost there. **

**I was thinking of how to address Arthur from Victoria's point of view. She's young, polite, and he's potentially going to save the reader so she highly respects him and addresses him formally. I was half asleep when I first typed it out but I gave it some thought and I decided that Arthur should be 'Mr. Kirkland' to Victoria. **

**I know, I know... I should be working on other stuff. But once I get going, I get going. / I've been multitasking between this and my history paper (almost done :D) and I haven't really had time or energy to do anything else. **

**So I'm going to Calgary for the weekend so I don't think I'll be able to Photoshop but I can still sketch and whatnot... And of course, write. **

**I've got class right away so enjoy this new segment!**

**I only own Victoria, the plot and the lullaby. **

**You belong to strike Captain Ore-Sama/strike you**

**As always, any kind of feedback is appreciated, thank you to everyone who supports me and this story you guys are awesome~ I'm really excited to see so many views from so many countries :3 I honestly didn't think this fic would be THAT popular. I have over 2300 views since I first posted this **


	6. Chapter 6

"(Name)! (Name)!" The first thing you see are red orbs filled with worry when you snapped your eyes open and shoot up into a sitting position.

"Gilbert..." You panted as you gripped the sheets in a death grip. "He has her. Arthur has Victoria."

"Wha-? How do you know? You sure it wasn't just a nightmare? And one hell of a nightmare..."

You shake your head vigorously. "That's the scary part. They're not dreams. Pure Ones have supernatural right? I have premonitions." Gilbert was about to question you but you continued. "Days before Arthur's attack, I had dreams warning of what was going to happen. A few days before you arrived, I saw you coming in a dream."

"How often have you had them?"

"Only those times."

"Did you see exactly what happened to your sister?"

"No... I-I-I heard her voice, I saw Arthur then that spell that was used on my mother."

"What about their location?"

"I ... don't know. I think they're going to be waiting for us at the seal."

Gilbert bit his lip and sighed. "I hate to say this, (Name). There's nothing I can do to help your sister. Not with that information at least. You have to be 200% sure to know where she is otherwise we'd be wasting time in a wild goose chase."

You nodded because you knew that he was right. You thought that maybe she was alright. You didn't see her get hit so there is hope that she's okay.

"But I won't ignore the fact that Arthur could be waiting for us. You may be saving my crewmen's lives. Thank you." He placed his hands on your cheeks.

"(Name), I promise, I won't let him lay a finger on her."

"Okay." You said quietly as your eyes were starting to water. He wiped the corner if your eyes with his thumbs. You let your head fall in the crook of his neck and press yourself against him for comfort. You could feel him flinch as if he was surprised.

"Sorry... Just let me stay like this for a while."

Gilbert wrapped his arms around you and placed a hand on the back of your head.

At this point, you were ready to give up holding a grudge against Gilbert as long as he lived. As much as you liked to pretend to, you weren't entirely made out of stone and could handle anything the world threw at you. Granted, you still could handle difficult situations and were very good at surviving but even you had your breaking point. Naturally you needed someone to lean on but why him out of all people?

Xxxx

Gilbert had gotten up earlier than you and when he came back, he brought a dress that was next to you on the bed when you woke up. You were about to protest against it but Gilbert reminded you that you didn't have a say because of your agreement. But he did say you could have your other clothes back when you were dueling and when they reached the seal.

'Well... On the brightside, he's been very lax on the agreement. There are many times where he could've made me do worse stuff but didn't.'

The dress was tasteful in the very least. It was a white dress with a low neckline, a skirt that went to your shins and elaborate shoulders and sleeves that dangled a bit under your elbows. The bodice had a sunset orange color and gold linings corset which hugged your figure and you also received some sandals.

While Gilbert and Antonio's crew were gathering supplies and information of what could possibly be waiting on the way to the seal, you took some time to wander a little. You missed being in the market, there was always something happening and it was always fun to test your wits in getting good bargains. When you actually took the time to think things through, you were extremely clever and could sucker people in getting the short end of the stick.

You found a blacksmith while wandering and were browsing through their weapons. You knew that Gilbert had weapons but you preferred to have ones that you pick out.

You unsheathe a lightweight cutlass and inspect the blade. It appeared to be made out of nickel or iron. You take it in one hand to test it out. It was a little heavier than you were used to and you decided that you needed something lighter. You don't like anything to slow you down in a duel. It could do quite a bit of damage but it will slow you down.

You continued browsing and the sixth sword you found was a rapier. It was lightweight and made out of steel which was fairly decent for both agility and attacking. And it had a good hand guard on it too. You stepped away from the shelves, toss the rapier in the air so it flipped twice before catching it with your non-dominant hand. You couldn't help but smile. It felt good to wield a sword again.

"Hey! You could break something! You break it, you buy- (Name)?" A black haired hazel eyed boy comes out from the back. A vertical scar could be seen on his left cheekbone that was lightly covered with soot and ash along with most of his face. Other than his large scar, he was quite handsome.

"(Name), is that you? It's me, Matt. From Andros."

"Ah? Matt? Long-time no see. Glad to see that you're in one piece." You smile a bit.

"Likewise. So what are you doing in a place like this? I never knew that you were into swords."

"I started fencing fairly recently. Any chance I can get a discount on this for old time's sake?" You held the sword out with the blade on your hands. Matt smirked.

"Let's see, can you get a discount? I spend hours slaving away in a large fire pit melting the metal and several more days shaping and perfecting the metal. Then I sell these to make a living and it's very difficult to get anyone to buy them."

"Sorry, guilt trips don't work on me. I'll give you (amount)."

"You're robbing me, woman!" Matt argued with you for fifteen minutes about the price.

"How about I give you half price if you go out on a date with me." He had a Cheshire grin.

"A what?" You raise an eyebrow. Even back then, you were not entirely relationship savy nor did you want to be.

"A date. You know, dinner, romantic stroll along the harbour, you talk, I talk."

"Oh... Sorry, I can't afford to do that."

"Oh well, guess you don't want this sword that badly then."

"Oh come ON. We can work something out."

"Why do you want it anyway?"

"I've been recruited... for a job... and long story short, I need it because where I'm going is very dangerous."

"Dangerous, huh? That doesn't sound like the (Name) that I know. And the one that I know is more ...moody... more happy go lucky. And doesn't take extremely stupid and or dangerous risks."

"You'd be surprised how people can change when a situation calls for it. I'm offering (amount). That's better than you'll find anywhere else, take it or leave it."

Matt agreed on your price which was a little cheaper than the original price but it was a good deal and you have some money to spare.

"So with that aside, do you still want to go on that date?" Matt asked.

"Well... I can't make any promises. I might be leaving soon and I don't know when I'll be back." You say politely.

"Oh, okay then." He smiled then put his hands on the back of his head. "The second you come back, I'm taking you out."

'He listens like a sack of hammers.' Your eyebrow twitched. 'Just like back then.'

"Just be careful, okay?"

"Thanks, you too." You left the blacksmith's and you found that Gilbert was waiting out the door.

"How long were you standing out here?" You asked.

"A while. You know that guy? He seems to like you." Gilbert had a low tone that sounded like he was irritated or angry.

"What? Him? He's just a boy from home. I knew him but not very well. We weren't that close or anything."

"Oh really?" His notorious smirk returns. "That's good. 'Cause I might have to give him a good beating otherwise, because I don't take lightly to those who take what's mine." He bent down to your eye level and you scowled at him.

'Ass.'

"I'm joking, liebe." He smirked.

"I don't know about you but where I'm from, jokes are funny."

Xxxxx

Within five days the two crews, or three since another crew had joined the party, had all of the essentials and supplies together. They consisted of battle weapons, food, and a few more members seeking for adventure. You thought that the captains would turn them away but they didn't. Apparently they also know stories about what lies at the seal so they can help.

You couldn't believe that there were actually people with decent backgrounds who wanted to be pirates. Don't they realize once they're in, they'll have a next to impossible chance of getting out if they have a change of heart? Well, it's their choice.

You helped out by loading some things to the ship and gathering any information you could about the Seal's obstacles. When there was nothing you could do, you went to an isolated area and practiced your sword thrusts and swings. Your sister was always on your mind and it was driving you to get stronger and improve your techniques. If Kirkland even put a scratch on her, you would make sure that you show him no mercy.

Feli came to talk with you every night when the work was done for the day. Gilbert would go drinking with his two friends and that inn keeper and you would talk with Feli. Sometimes Lovino joined you briefly but he was mainly flirting with the women.

"You know Feli, you were right." You told him on the fifth night.

"Vee~? About what?"

"About the crew. They're not half bad." Recently you have become less hostile towards the crew and they respected you as well although you still weren't on friendly terms. And you still didn't trust them. They were pirates but they were also decent men, as you had observed.

"I know!" He smiled. "They aren't that scary once you get to know them. Why do you dislike pirates?"

"Well... It's how I was raised, I guess. And after Kirkland's attack, it set my thoughts about them in stone. I always thought that the only thing they would care about is money and destroying people's lives. But seeing them act like people at my home... Helping one another, turning up a few drinks, and talking about their families... I never thought it would be possible." 'Although they still have a rogue part to them.'

"You know, that's what I thought too when I first joined the crew. But Gilbert's my friend and friendship doesn't have any restrictions."

"It doesn't?" It's been a long time since you've had real friends but the ones you had, they had to be approved by your parents. If anyone seemed to be 'bad' you were told to stay away from them. A lot of people seemed to be bad so you didn't really socialize much.

What defines 'bad'? What defines 'good'?

"Nope. You can't judge others by appearance or how they act. Otherwise you won't make friends with anyone."

"... Not everything is black and white." You say to yourself. "Not everything is silver and gold..." You smiled and sighed. "There's more to what Gilbert said than I thought." 'But still... I can't completely trust them.'

Xxxxx

You set sail on the dawn of the 6th day. You felt really ecstatic of watching the sunrise again. It has been a long time since you took the time to watch it rise above the deep blue waters. The pink rays reflected off the relatively calm crystal waves of the sea, it was truly beautiful. It wasn't quite the same as watching the sunset, the sunrise was better because there was hardly anything on the waters and it seemed like there were two worlds-two skies-two dimensions. It couldn't be seen any other time of the day.

Since you were likely to run into obstacles at the Seal along with Kirkland, every crew member had to do something. If crew members weren't working, they would practice dueling. When they weren't dueling or training, they would work. The crew would switch positions every other day as it was the quickest method for everyone to train.

There was a tournament set up for the crew to test and see who is able to go ashore and fight. If anyone lost more than five times in a row, they couldn't go ashore or fight Kirkland's crew if he showed up.

On the first day, you were part of the group that was dueling. While you were waiting your turn, Feliciano helped you improve mind protection techniques. You finally were able to seal your emotions and some of the crew members agreed to help by flirting-but-not-actually-flirting with you. You were able to ignore their comments completely and received praise from Feli. When they were saying bad things about you to your face, you show some irritation but were able to brush it off. Finally when they said something about your parents, even though they didn't mean it, you couldn't protect your emotions very well. You got fed up and weren't able to brush it off and yelled at them to shut up.

When it was your turn to duel, you faced a crew member who looked kind of scrawny. He wore a bandana, eye patch, and a large gold earring along with general pirate clothes. He was pretty much a story book pirate.

You unsheathed your rapier and had the tip pointed down in a relaxed position, with your glare fixed on your opponent.

"I don't care if you're the captain's woman, don't expect me to go easy on you."

"Good. I don't want you to." You moved your arms into a fighting stance. He charge at you and you parried his attack without much difficulty. You made him shuffle back, cleverly using his own attacks to your advantage. After clashing your blades a few times, you pretended to retreat then when he took the bait, you retaliated and knocked his sword out of his hand.

"You aren't bad." You said as you lowered your sword. "Good match." You say out of habit.

He smirked and kicked your ankles, knocking you to the ground and you dropped your sword. He had his sword pointed at your chest with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"What the hell?" You shout. "The match is over!"

"That's right, lassie. And you lost."

"What? According to the rules of combat-"

"Pirate." Oh right. Rules are almost non-existent. "We generally don't follow YOUR rules of combat. You're in our world now, Missy. We fight until we can't anymore. You lose if you can't stand up AND you lose your sword. Here's what would've happened on the battlefield."

Another crew member took your sword away and your opponent grabbed your shirt and made a gun motion with his finger against your head.

"Bang. Or use your imagination of what could happen to you." He let go and the other crew member gave your sword back. "You don't let your sword get far from you. That is your lifeline." He said gravely. "And never give up or let your guard down until you know for sure your opponent can't move."

You nod in acknowledgement. You were starting to get used to this life, you had forgotten that pirates can fight to the death and use any means to win.

"You've got talent, Missy."

'Okay, pick ONE pet name or 'Hey You' this is getting STUPID!' You thought.

"Just keep on practicing and you'll be a fine fighter."

Later that evening, well after the sun went down, your second match was against that pirate who had that stone that night. His name was Thomas if you remembered correctly. He had dark brown hair that rivaled Lovino's and blazing hazel eyes.

You couldn't get another match sooner because there were several members training and their matches dragged out for a long time.

This time, you were determined not to lose. You had a gist of how pirate combat was played out and you were determined to fight until one of you passed out.

While you were in the middle of your match, both you and Thomas giving it your all and being at an almost constant stalemate, something flashed in your eyes making you stopped dead in your tracks.

It was that dark and creepy cathedral with those coffins that circled around an altar. Tori was lying on one of the coffins in a white dress with her hands crossed on her stomach. A familiar figure in a bloody red coat was right behind her with the glow of the moon illuminating half of his body.

You stood there wide eyed and were about to scream when there was a sudden pain in your side and you gasped.

"Miss (Name)!" Thomas screamed. You returned to reality in agonizing pain. Thomas's sword was lodged in your side and blood was staining your white blouse. You coughed up a large wad of blood that filled your mouth.

"(Name)!" Feli immediately came to your side and took the sword out carefully. "Are you alright?"

You couldn't respond. That vision of your sister left you so afraid that you were speechless. You couldn't even put pressure on your side because you were so shocked. Your mind told you over and over that it wasn't real. She's still alive.

"What's going on?" Gilbert came on deck but you couldn't even register that he was here.

"Captain, I swear, it was an accident. Miss (Name) suddenly stopped... and I couldn't stop my attack in time."

"(Name), I'm going to use a healing spell on you. Try not to move." Feli said as he placed a hand on your side.

Feli said two words that you couldn't understand and a light red light circled his hand. The pain was so intense for a few seconds then it faded. It was enough to make you respond a bit in which you bended your legs.

"(Name)? I'm sorry, that's the best I can do for now. It's been a while since I had to use a healing spell for something like this. The cut is still pretty deep but it's not life threatening."

"Thank you. You did fine." You managed to get out.

"I'll take care of her, Feli. You go get some rest." Gilbert said as he took you into his arms. "And the rest of you, those who aren't watchmen, get down to the barracks. If you want to improve your skills, the most essential thing you need is a good night's rest."

"Aye, Captain, Aye!" Came the unision response of the crew.

"You... shouldn't stop... the matches because of... me." You hissed in pain.

"I'm not, liebe. What I said is true: sleep is a pirate's best friend if they want to practice fighting." He lay you down on the bed then got up to lock the door and get whiskey from his cabinet.

"I'm just going to clean you up, I won't do anything else. Unless you want me to." He sniggered but when you didn't respond and just stared into space, his grin faded. "What happened that was so terrifying?"

No response. Gilbert got some bandages out from a drawer and poured the whiskey on a cloth. When he had it ready he loosened your vest so he could lift the corner of your shirt.

"This is going to hurt, liebe. Ready?" You barely nodded and took a deep breath. It was shearing white pain, much worse than last time. Gilbert was being extremely careful to not press too hard to cause you more pain. Once he was done, he quickly had a patch on your cut and wrapped another bandage around your waist to keep constant firm pressure on it.

"There. Done."

"...Thank you... Gilbert."

"Bitte sehr." He smiled. "You know, I think that's the first time you said my name while completely conscious."

"Well... I'm out of useable curses (Lovino stole all mine) and 'Hey You' is a little too cliché." You had a small smile that Gilbert didn't see.

You gave it some thought to what Feli had said and you had decided that you would try to get closer to Gilbert and let your complicated thoughts run their course. If he showed that he wasn't just using you, you wouldn't stop your emotions. If he were to act like a stereotypical pirate you've been taught about for years, you weren't going to show him mercy when it is your opportune moment.

You got a chuckle out of him as he sat next to you.

"You wound me, liebe." He said playfully and smirked. "Maybe I should make you heal me?"

"Re-remind me la...ter." You replied quietly as you were fighting drowsiness.

"...Alright." He took a small handful of your hair in his hand and stroked it with his thumb. "What happened that was so terrifying?"

"... I saw my sister… in this cathedral. It was like she was… going to be sacrificed. I know it can't be real... I know she's alive but still..." You cringed and your lip quivered. "I couldn't help it."

"It's alright, (Name)." He lay down beside you and kissed your head. "If you know she's alive, then she's alive. When Ludwig was taken from me, I went through the same thing."

"You did?" He draped his arm around you, careful not to touch your side and moved closer to you, letting your foreheads meet.

"Yeah. I would have panic attacks often and my mind would imagine the worst possible things that could happen to him out of the blue. But… I know that he's alive, it's… intuition I guess. If you can feel that your sister's alive then she is."

"You think so? Huh…"

"With that being said," You couldn't stay awake and Gilbert started rambling about how dangerous that was to let your guard down, blah blah blah, you can't afford to do that again, and something else but you couldn't remember. The last thing you heard was 'Dummpkof, Ich liebe dich.'

Xxxxx

Over the next few weeks, you found yourself slowly getting closer to Gilbert and your relationship was improving. You figured you have enough common grounds to call him a friend, as you actually enjoyed his company and you found him likeable-despite the fact that he is a pirate. And you still kissed but that was out of habit and most of them didn't really mean anything. It was very complicated.

You felt very conflicted about your feelings. You told yourself just to let your emotions play out, as long as you maintained your dignity, but you couldn't stop wondering why you felt this way and what drew him to like you. Seriously, if it was some other girl who had enough guts to defend the town and traded herself for the sake of others, would she be like this? Probably not. You had a feeling in your gut you would've been in this position anyway, with you being a Pure One and all.

What was it that drew him to you? You eat, work, sleep. That's your life. You were pretty boring compared to a lot of people. You're almost unreadable and unsociable unless someone takes the time to find a way for you to open up. (IE Gilbert and Feliciano) And you always have to argue and you even find yourself a nuisance.

So why?

On top of that, how will your town see you when you return? How will they react when they find out you've been getting close to a pirate? That you had fallen into Stockholm Syndrome? How will Tori...?

'Tori might be alright with this if I'm alright with this. Is it possible for me to fall in love with him?'

You did vow that you would never give your heart to someone who would only hurt your sister. But Gilbert has a soft spot for her and when he occasionally threatens you because you were being stubborn and disobeying his orders, he never brings her up or says that he'll use her against you. And he said that he wouldn't let Kirkland hurt her. So if he follows through, you have a reason not to hate him.

But is there anything that will let you love him?

You stepped out one night to think while stargazing. You saw Feli leaning over a railing staring into the waters.

Two other ships, side by side were sailing in sync with the St. Maria. The one on the right was Antonio's ship and the other one was Francis' ship.

You met Francis once while he came to visit, you didn't like him. For starters he gave you a marriage registration form and claimed it was a calendar. You agreed to take the 'calendar' because you wanted to keep track of the days and were less than pleased to find out what it exactly was. Gilbert wasn't too pleased either.

You walked over to Feli and greeted him.

"Hey, find something interesting?"

"Yeah! I'm pretty sure I saw a fish- a big fish!" He smiled absently. His childishness was so adorable- it reminded you of Victoria so much and it made you miss her even more.

"Please tell me it wasn't a shark."

"Nope~ It was more like a dolphin."

"Really? I didn't think there'd be dolphins here. I've never seen one in the wild."

"That's because they tend to avoid very populous areas. They must think it's too noisy. Hey look, a pretty lady!" Feliciano pointed out. You leaned over and see a human figure in a lifeboat.

You could see her short black hair that framed her face and a petite figure that was... half naked.

'A stowaway? There's no way that she jump into that.' You frowned a bit. This was certainly odd.

"Ciao! Bella! What are you doing in a place like this?" Feli waved at her. You cringed at how loud he was as you didn't want to wake up everyone on the ship.

"Hey! Shut up, you idiot!" Lovino shouted from the other ship. You learned that Lovino often liked to come up and enjoy some wine and a midnight tomato or two.

"You shut up, Lovino!" You grinned. "You want to wake up everyone else- Feli?" Feliciano got some rope and started to tie it around the railing.

"What's that idiot doing?" Lovino asked.

"We've got a girl in the lifeboat."

"A what?"

"Feli, let me help, you can't bring someone up on your own."

"But you're not fully recovered." He had a worried expression.

"I can still move. I'll be fine." You looped the rope around the railing so that it would be easier to lift a heavy load. Feli grabbed a sheet that was lying around before carefully making his way down to the boat.

"Here, you can wear this. It's a little cold out tonight, isn't it?" He smiled at her as he wrapped the sheet around her.

"Arigatou. … But I wish that you wouldn't have come for me." She said sadly. There were beautiful melodies that could be heard all around the ship. You turned your head looking for the source but no luck. You look down and Feliciano was frozen in place.

"Ah! Shonen-san! Please, wake up! Don't listen!" The girl pleaded.

"Is everything alright?" You leaned over only to see Feli being taken out of the boat and into the water.

"Feliciano!" You screamed. You immediately dove into the water after him to chase the creature. Lovino and a couple of the watchmen screamed Feliciano's name before your ears flooded with water.

With only the moon's light to guide you, you couldn't see a thing under water. Your eyes were used to the salt water but it has been a while since you actually went swimming. You could feel burning pain in your cut on your side but you had to ignore it. You couldn't let them take Feli.

You followed the two silhouettes going deeper and deeper into the darkness and finally you felt your hand brush against clothes. You grabbed what little you could feel and Feliciano grabbed onto your arm with desperation. You felt his grip loosen when the creature started to sing but you still held on. You received a stinging slap to the head to your chest making it burn even more. It finally hit you to what took Feliciano.

'Mermaids? No freakin' way.' You try to feel for Feliciano's waist while maintaining an extremely tight grip around his arm. The mermaid was mercilessly beating you with her tail. You knew you couldn't hold on much longer and you had to do something. You found Feliciano's waist and had your arm securely around him before kicking the mermaid on the tail which did little damage.

You found her arm and grabbed onto it.

'Tuono Scossa!' A white light sparked illuminating everything for a moment. You could see her grey scaly upper torso and her hideous face before she let go in shock. That spell Lovino recently taught you was an electric spell that increased in power the more practice you had. Right now, all you could do was shock her a bit. You've might've accidentally shocked Feliciano too but he seems to be responsive.

You kicked as hard as you could to go up towards the light. It wasn't easy since you were underwater far too long and those beatings were shortening your oxygen supply.

You and Feli finally reached the surface, gasping harshly for air. There were a couple of mermaids still hanging around. You could feel that one was really close to you and started singing which made Feli freeze up.

"Feli! Feli, stay with me! I need you to swim." You say as you headed towards Antonio's ship which was the closest. Lovino and a couple of the other crew had a couple ropes ready for you. Feliciano had extreme difficulty swimming and his body refused to move. You battled against the freezing black water and made your way to the rope. You tied the rope securely around Feli's waist and shouted for the crew members to pull him up.

You grabbed your rope and before you could make it even half way, another mermaid shot out of the water and severed it, taking you down with her. You could see the fury in her face as she transformed from a mesmerizing beautiful being to a twisted ugly creature. Her fangs were bared at you as her razor nails dug into your arms.

You were about to cast your spell again but she threw you deeper down into the depths with tremendous force. You tossed and turned without any sense of direction of which way was up as water burned your lungs and your lower body going numb. Just like before.

A lightly illuminated figure was heading towards you as you reached out to him. It was that boy... that guardian angel.

'Please help me.' Your sight was starting to fade and you felt a grip on your arm. You automatically grab on as you are taken back to the surface and continue to rise. Once you felt yourself land on the deck, you collapse to your knees and start coughing up water and some blood.

"You… are officially… the craziest chick… I have ever known, liebe." You turn your head to see Gilbert shake his head not unlike a dog, spiking his unruly hair even more. Gilbert saved you? All on his own? He knelt beside you and embraced you. "But you saved Feliciano's life. Which is something I can't thank you enough for."

NOW you have a legitimate reason to love Gilbert.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm really evil when it comes to cliffhangers. :evillaugh: So where I left off last chapter was actually a dream (or was it?). <strong>

**I thought it would be neat to add mermaids into the mix. When I saw the latest Pirates of the Caribbean, I wasn't too thrilled on how mermaids were portrayed and I base these ones on how I thought they should've been portrayed. I see them as very beautiful but they can shift to something extremely hideous and savage once someone sees them for what they really are. **

**...And that their songs only affect men, not women which is why you weren't affected by their song.**

**And that mermaid that Feliciano met was Fem!Japan and she joins the party. :3**

**So next chapter is the arrival at the Seal and hopefully I'll get it up in a few days. **

**... I should watch some adventure movies or something to help with the scene. **

**As always, thank you for your support, you guys are awesome! **

**And yes, I know that there are some mistakes in previous chapters but I'll fix them when I can!**

**Enjoy!**

**Reviews or any kind of feedback is always appreciated!  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

***Recommended music while reading**

**From the beginning until scene when reader is alone with Gilbert: http:/www .youtube .com/ watch? v= RUVRaKqBPE0**

**Alone With Gilbert: http:/www . youtube . com/ watch ?v= xnd_-Y mPSI**

**The kiss and sunrise: http:/ www. youtube. com/watch?v =2 MtaJ t04CmE**

**Battle preparations: http:/www .youtube. com/ watch?v= 3hD81QwZx3c**

**Arriving at the Seal: http:/www. youtube. com/watch? v=xUP63 jLHByY 0-0:46**

**The Scream and Victoria's Appearance: http:/ www. youtube. com/watc h?v=LVPAdGLSDA8**

* * *

><p>After you recovered from your coughing fit, you went to find Feliciano who looked like he was still out of it. One of the sailors explained that mermaids were extremely dangerous because once they start singing, they can put men into a trance. The longer they are exposed to it, the longer it takes to break free from it. If someone was too close to the water, they could just take their victims into the depths like they tried to do with Feliciano.<p>

The sailors on the decks were slightly affected by them as well but not as much as Feliciano who was closer to them. Their spell didn't work on you because you were a woman however, they were not very pleased that you took away their dinner and tried to drown you.

If it weren't for Gilbert, you would have drowned. He saved you despite great personal risk himself. You knew that he would naturally take dangerous chances but mermaids were in a different league, the way that the sailor explained it, he could have just as easily fallen under their spell and been their dinner too and Pure One or not, he would have no choice but to abandon you. But he was so determined to rescue you, he wouldn't let mermaids stop him. There was no way that he would do that to someone whom he had no feelings for.

That made your heart flutter. He saved you because he really does care for you. But there was that nagging voice of doubt. One good deed for you vs. tons of reasons for you to hate him.

You focused back to the matter at hand, which was to get Feliciano back to normal. That mermaid was brought up to the deck and she was told that if she freed Feliciano, she will live. She was so scared and so delicate, you were afraid she might collapse under pressure. She was unable to say or do anything but you stepped in and settled the situation a bit.

You noticed how gorgeous her eyes were. They were so dark, so beautiful, and so mysterious. She also had a striking resemblance to Victoria. She looked so young and shy and her face was similar to Victoria. You were able to coax her into relaxing and trusting you so that she would willingly help Feliciano.

She said that she couldn't simply free him because another mermaid placed him under the spell. However, she knew of something that would work, despite of something that she was mumbling about. You could have sworn she said this was against her morale.

She took Feliciano's face in her shy, shaking hands and kissed him on the lips. He responded as being as bubbly and cheerful as ever, greatly enthusiastic about being kissed.

"Vee~ Grazie! I'm so happy that I got a kiss from a pretty girl!" She turned beat read in response and bowed slightly.

"M-My name is Sakura. P-please re-regard me kindly." She said quietly. Her brown eyes were so solemn and so quiet, it was difficult to tell what she had on her mind. But with you being in her position before, you can tell that she was terrified and she was doing her best to be brave.

"Nice to meet you, Sakura. You can call me Feliciano or Feli for short." Feliciano smiled. "Can we keep her with us, Gilbert?" He turned his head to Gilbert.

"You did help Feliciano, so…" He began.

"Please, don't send me back! I- I had my fin stripped from me and I can't swim without it." She said desperately.

"Oh boy…" Gilbert sighed as he pushed his hair back. "What can we do with you? No offense but I need every person on here to be useful. Where we're going is going to be extremely dangerous."

"What if she could help us at the Seal? Those three that joined the crew at the port said that there could be monsters at the seal so what if she could put them to sleep so we can get by easier?" You turned to Gilbert then back to Sakura. "Do you think you can put other things than humans to sleep?"

"Hai. I mean, yes, I can. I still have my abilities. And I am very useful in tactics that I can use to help you."

"So can we? Can we can we?"

"Ja. But she stays with you Feli, alright?" You quickly slipped away to retrieve your dress that Gilbert got you. It was really pretty and you honestly did like it but there were no other feminine clothes on board and Sakura couldn't keep wearing that sheet around her.

When you came back, Feliciano was jumping around, holding Sakura's hands and moving her arms up and down.

"Sakura. Here, you can wear this." You handed your neatly folded dress to her once Feliciano stopped jumping around.

"A-arigatou… um…"

"(Name). If you need some help or anything, just let me know, okay?"

She nodded slightly. "Well then, oyasuminasai." She was guided by Feliciano to his sleeping quarters as the other crew members departed below deck as well leaving you alone with Gilbert. You were unsure of what to say leaving the silence to be filled with the sound of the waves crashing against the ship and the creak of the wood.

You met each other's gaze with a pregnant silence, you wanted to say something, to thank him, but you didn't know how to say it.

"You have a soft spot for Feli, huh?" That was all you could think of for something to say.

"Ja. He's really cute and he's a good cook. We've been practically brothers since he met Luddy. What about you liebe? You have a soft spot for him too." He had a smirk that was different than his usual one. It was actually full of joy rather than his sneaky look.

"I dunno. I see my own sister in him… He really is kind and his childishness reminds me so much of Tori." You smiled. Since you first came here, your real smiles were rare and you only shared them with Feli. And this was the first time you talked about your sister to anyone. "She can act so silly most of the time and always tries to make the best of things, no matter how hard they get." You turned your head to the sky and slouched on the railing. The stars were fading as the night sky was getting a little lighter. "She may not look like it but she's very headstrong and very mature which I admire about her. … And I believe that she's gonna get through this."

Gilbert slouched on the railing beside you. You noticed his expression changed as if he was amazed or curious.

"Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away."

"It's fine. I could go on for hours about Ludwig. It's what us doting siblings do, right liebe?"

"I guess. Hey, Gilbert," It felt so strange to call him by his name like this. The only other times you said his name were if you were talking to Feliciano and were referring to him respectfully. "Why do you call me liebe?"

"Because it suits you. The other names weren't really working so I like liebe the best."

"I mean, what does it mean?"

"Oh. It's German. It's a common language in Central Europe. Would you like me to teach you?" He grinned.

"Why do I sense some form of evil motive?" You raised an eyebrow and chuckled a bit.

"You should know me better than that, (Name). Kesesese. I'd figure you'd trust me enough by now."

"Well, I don't trust any pirate. …" You said coldly but then you changed it to a more gentle tone. "But I do trust humans. I'll take you up on your offer."

"Alright. Let's see… Something simple. Repeat after me. Ich liebe dich."

"Ick liebe deek." Gilbert laughs and you noticed that he moved closer to you.

"Almost. You have to use your throat. It's not quite a 'k' sound, try making it a little softer."

"Ick liebe dich…"

"Better." Gilbert smiled. "Now how about this? Küss mich."

"Cue… cuews mich." You said hesitantly.

"Close but not quite. Think of Küss as if you were saying … 'Luke'."

"Küss mich."

"Gladly.~"

Gilbert gently brushed his fingers on your cheeks, cupping your face as he leaned towards you. You could feel his warm breath tickling your lips before he pressed his lips on yours. Out of habit, you kiss him back but unlike several times before when you did it out of fighting for dominance, this was different. It was tenderer, it was pure… You couldn't describe it. It was so beautiful, so warm, it made your insides flutter and melt. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him towards you. He shifted one of his hands to your (h/c) and ran his fingers through it. His other hand was still against your cheek, being gently caressed by your own.

A bright light flashed in the corner of your eye and you pull away only a little bit to see what it was. It was a deep orange light and out of instinct, your brain told you it was fire. You cracked your eyes open to find the source and the sun was rising above the water. It wasn't like any sunset you had ever seen, it lit up the sky like it was a painting with the unnaturally bright orange pastel colours with a mix of rose red. What was left of the night sky was a gradient between the deep orange that was filling the sky and a deep purple.

"Isn't that something?" Gilbert said quietly. "Never seen any sunrise like it."

"Neither have I." You led him to the stairs to the stern and make him sit down while you curl up against him like Victoria would with you. You rested your head in the crook of his neck and leaned against him. Gilbert went along with your gesture and wrapped his arm around you as you two kept your gazes fixed on the sun.

"Thank you, Gilbert. For saving my life. I really mean it."

"You're welcome. After you saved Feli's, how could I not? Besides," He leaned in your ear in whispered, "Ich liebe dich."

"Hey! Wait a minute! You didn't even tell me what it means!"

"I think it'd be more fun for you to figure it out, (Name) .~ I will give you a hint though. German is similar to English in some ways. It means the same thing in English and it has the same number of words, all very little but they mean something really big."

'WHAT KIND OF HINT IS THAT?'

Xxxxx

In five days, the island that had the Seal was in sight. Emerging from the haze was a magnificent single mountain in the distance. You could barely make out tree tops sprouting from the haze like a field of grass. You were both excited and nervous at the same time. Your first adventure, first real treasure hunt, who knew what kind of secrets would be found after being sealed away for who knows how many centuries? If only Victoria could see this… She'd be just as amazed as you were. You had to make sure that you came back alive to tell her about this.

You reminded yourself that this wasn't just a treasure hunt just for fun. You had a mission: You had to retrieve the treasure that Arthur wants in exchange for Gilbert's brother and possibly Victoria. You really hoped that your dream was false and that she was safe at home. It only occurred once, not enough to sound the alarm but enough to make you worry.

There was a call from Francis' ship that there was another ship coming in from the distance. Gilbert immediately left and you watched him board Francis's ship and pull out a telescope and directed its vision to the distant ship.

"Excuse me, (Name) chan?" Sakura came up to you after Feliciano was helping her use her legs. Since she was -literally- a fish out of water, she needed to know how to walk and run. "What does that mean, another ship is in sight? Is it another ally?"

"I think we may have to fight someone else."

"Oh, really." Sakura said quietly. "Why do you have to fight? From what I heard about the Seal from the other mermaids is that it's very dangerous. Even the waters are polluted by death. Shouldn't this be a 'more allies, the better' situation?"

"I agree but I wasn't aware that there were going to be more pirates joining us. And we can't afford not to get the treasure because Gilbert's brother and my sister's lives could be at stake."

"All this trouble for two people you care about?" Sakura said curiously. "You humans sure have strange ways of doing things."

"Yeah." You chuckled. "Although I can't say I completely understand humans either. Especially from things that are least expected." Gilbert stormed back onto the ship with Francis behind him with grim looks on their faces. "What is it?" You asked.

"It's Kirkland. I recognize his ship anywhere." You felt your blood run cold. Your heart was pounding against your chest. He actually was here, much sooner than anyone anticipated. And if that dream was correct then Victoria was with him too. You hoped that was not the case, that there was some chance that she was safe at home. You only had that dream about her once.

"This is sooner than I thought... (Name). You are not to fight him at all. Whatever happens, do NOT go after him. You have improved but you aren't strong enough to fight him."

You knew you made a deal with Gilbert back then but now that Kirkland was actually here and Victoria may be here as well, the tide has changed and you didn't think that you could keep your promise not to fight him.

"I can't promise anything if he comes after me." You say darkly. "I won't engage him in a fight off the bat but I can't promise I won't hold myself back if he comes to me."

"Nien." He grips your shoulder and meets your eyes. "You stay far away from him as possible. If you see him, run. That is an order. Understand?"

You nod.

Gilbert called over Antonio go over the battle plans quickly. Francis and his crew would keep Arthur's crew busy but chances are that there are likely going to be a few of his men heading to shore as well which the other crew members will deal with.

Francis's crew will hold Arthur's at bay until the treasure is retrieved. Once it is, they will invoke Parley and negotiate the treasure for Ludwig and Victoria if she was there too. If that didn't work, they would have to take Ludwig and Victoria then go.

Those who were qualified to go ashore would search for the Seal's entrance and fight any enemies that stood in the way. Antonio and his crew members will split up from Gilbert's and cover more ground on the other side of the island. If anyone found anything, they would have to fire two shots in the air then they would regroup.

You were going to be travelling with Gilbert, Sakura, the Vargas brothers and other members of Gilbert's crew. As there are likely going to be stronger enemies as you get closer to the Seal itself, the group will start to break off starting with the weakest members to fend off the weaker enemies and the next group will attack the stronger enemies and so on then they will eventually regroup.

You were instructed to stay with the Vargas brothers no matter what and get to the Seal. If you had to separate from Gilbert and Antonio, you, Lovino and Feliciano must keep going to the Seal.

Xxx

Soon you could see the shores of the island along with about 16 other members. Sharp rocks bordered the entrance however, the mouth was clear and shallow, only allowing small boats to enter. Gilbert and Antonio anchored their ships and had their boats in the water within minutes. Francis had already turned his ship around to stall Kirkland and engage him in battle. He sent a messenger bird ahead to scout out where Ludwig and possibly Victoria were which made you feel a little bit better. You hoped that Victoria was not here with all your heart.

As you were coming into the mouth, it made you shiver seeing what had littered the waters. Broken pieces of wood floating around, skeletons lying around in grotesque positions with the occasional object sticking out of every possible place in their bodies on the rocks, and a half submerged in the water that still had meat on them.

Broken limestone ruins stuck out along the shoreline and two small untouched Roman like shrines could be seen at the entrance of the clearly seen entrance to the jungle. You looked above the treeline to see the top of a pyramid not unlike the ones in Egypt in the distance and that massive mountain standing behind it made it look smaller than it actually was.

After all the boats were secure, you and the other pirates carefully made your way through the jungle, eyes on constant alert for unnatural movements in the trees or on the ground. So far, no signs of any potential monsters.

You were looking for some waterfall which would have the entrance to the Seal's treasure. According to Sakura, there were stories about what was at the Seal among mermaids as well. The entrance where only chosen humans were permitted was behind a waterfall inside the mountain. It was possible for mermaids to enter the mountain from the water but there was a giant mutant lobster (honest to God, it is a giant lobster. If this wasn't a serious situation you'd find it hilarious) that would attack them at the bottom of the cavern if they were too close.

The path that you were on was clear and easy to access due to previous humans that have traveled here before. You kept your eyes on alert, scanning everything for any hidden traps. You saw nothing but the caws of the birds and other creatures you don't recognize kept you on edge. You noticed something shiny on the path and you move to the side to pick it up. Upon further inspection, it was a light violet stone that was half the size than the palm of your hand. It had magic, you could feel it.

"Vee~? (Name)? You find something?" Feliciano asked ask the group stopped for you.

"Mm. There's something about this stone. I don't know what it's used for." You walk up to Feliciano and Lovino holding it out for them to see.

"Well, look what we got 'ere boys. Gilbert Beilschmidt and his pitiful excuse for a crew." You whip around and three pirates you didn't recognize with their swords drawn. "Rumour has it that you found yourself a Pure One, eh Beilschmidt? How about you hand 'er over and we'll take it from here."

"Nien, British dummpkoffs." He smirked as three members of the group drew their swords. "I've got a job to do. Keep them at bay and stay alive." He told his crew mates.

"Aye captain!" You ran with the others as you heard the clash of metal behind you.

"You can't keep running, Beilschmidt! Half of our crew is already here and you can't keep running from us!" One of them called.

"Let's just hope they have a small crew." You mutter as you kept on running with your sword bouncing against your waist. Feliciano and Lovino were in front of everyone, to your surprise, you didn't think that they could run this fast. Bit by bit, the group was broken off as several of Kirkland's crewmen spotted you. You weren't even close to the pyramid's entrance and you were down to the last two members that could be separated.

Another set of Kirkland's crew members showed up, leaving only your intended group left. You heard gunshots fired and you all looked to the sky. Two long streaks of smoke were in the North Eastern direction which you followed quickly so you could meet up with Antonio. You had to move carefully because you couldn't afford to fight Kirkland's crew members because you couldn't go in the ruins alone without Gilbert or Antonio.

You heard some other members coming and you all hid within the bush. You, Gilbert and Lovino were able to climb a tree while Feliciano and Sakura hid in a bush below.

"Maaaan, Artie's gonna kill me! I lost my Homing Stone!" A blonde haired pirate with an odd cowlick sticking out complained. You noticed that he had a different accent than the rest. You watched like a cat as he and two other pirates walked right by you.

"If we don't find that brat, he's going to kill ALL of us, you git!"

"I know, I know. I don't see what the big deal is about her. I get it that she wasn't supposed to come with us and…"

"You LET her! And you LET her get away! Find her before Beilschmidt or Carriedo does!"

"Geez, sorEE. I promised her that she could come and I didn't think that she could-"

"Wait, I thought I saw something." You held your breath as you shifted towards the trunk of the tree. They were heading to where Sakura and Feliciano were hiding. You had to think of something fast otherwise they're gonna get killed, most likely.

You heard Sakura's soft voice sing 'Shunkashuutou Shunkashuutou.' Before she could continue, the pirate looked up and said "Ach, it was only a bird. Keep moving." After they left, Sakura and Feliciano carefully rose from the bush and Gilbert jumped down. You were disturbed by what that pirate said. What if Victoria was here? Your doubts were steadily getting stronger.

"(Name)! We've got to keep moving!" Lovino said before he jumped down. Before you followed him, a shrill scream sent a shiver down your spine. You turned your head, hoping that it was only an illusion.

"Did you hear anything?" Feliciano looked around. Before anyone could say anything, the scream was louder and you knew the voice all too well.

"Victoria!" You screamed as you jumped from tree branch to tree branch, trying to find the source. Her screams were full of agony, pain, and were unbearable to you. Why couldn't you take those dreams more seriously? They only appeared to you ONCE, it wasn't enough to seriously take them because there were no other significant clues of her whereabouts. Unlike your other dreams which were in fine detail, these ones were vague. Why couldn't you take them more seriously? You ignored your name being called several times as the group followed you. You had to find her, you had to. Her scream was moving, as if she was being dragged away.

Her screams were coming from above you and you climbed higher up a tree with haste. You didn't have any solid branches to hang on to but you didn't care. You clung onto the trunk and started to crawl up the tree. You weren't sure where the others were and you had a feeling you were alone.

"Tori! Victoria where are you?" You screamed desperately. You look up to hear her scream only to find a midnight black parrot with emerald eyes. It flapped his wings at you and squawked at you followed by her scream coming from its beak. You shot the bird with the pistol you received before departing. How dare he imitate your sister's voice like that! That pistol was meant to be used as a signal but you couldn't forgive it. A terrifying thought ran through your mind: Parrots imitate what they see or hear. What if Kirkland tortured her? Perhaps it wasn't smart to shoot the messenger, you'd just be wasting bullets.

Soon other parrots arrived, echoing her terrifying screams. You jumped from the canopy to get away from them, covering your ears. They were surrounding you, with their screams getting louder and louder. You caught something out of the corner of your eye and drew your sword out of instinct. When you turned around, you saw your sister standing there right in front of you.

Her turquoise eyes were tired and dull and you knew that something was wrong. She was pale and slowly was stumbling towards you, reaching out for you. You wanted to embrace her as tight as you could but how do you know that this wasn't a trap?

"Tori? …" You lowered your sword and reached out to her with your other arm.

"Big sister …" She said sleepily. She started to fall forward and you immediately ran to catch her.

"Tori!" Once you touched her, she vanished completely. "What the-?" You choked. Your body was frozen and you couldn't breathe like you fell out of a tree and landed not-so-gracefully. You couldn't breathe, you couldn't think. What happened… WHAT DID THEY DO TO HER?

"(Name)! What the hell were you thinking? You can't just run off like that!" Gilbert suddenly gripped your shoulders and shook you. "You've got to focus if you want to help your sister. You go in there, get the treasure, we come back for her. Got it?"

You nod. You looked up and you noticed that parrots have changed their chorus. They were a mix of Victoria's screams along with a boy's scream as well as another older sounding person you didn't recognize. Sakura was covering her ears and you could see that Gilbert was cringing as well. Feliciano and Lovino's screams were heard from above as well however, they were not even touched and looked at each other dumbfounded.

Lovino got fed up and stepped in the middle of the circle of birds.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU BLACK FEATHER BRAIN BASTARDS!" Lovino screamed at them. You could see a bunch of heads staring at him and they were all cringing from what you could tell.

"There. You gotta show the bastards who's boss." Lovino folded his arms and had a smug grin.

"We have to keep moving." Gilbert said. "Antonio's just up ahead."

-Extra-

Soon after you left, you heard a chorus of 'Shut the fuck up' between the birds. There were still a few that were screaming but afterwards, all you heard in retaliation was 'Shut the fuck up!' then soon all the birds were at an off key 'Shut the fuck up!'

"Way to go, Lovino. You finally made something louder than gunshots." You scowled at him. "And now I'm gonna get a migraine for hours."

"Eh, they'll wear their voices out eventually and with any luck, they'll tell that to the British bastards."

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><p><strong>Hey everyone! <strong>

**Sorry to cut it off so short, I was planning to make this longer buuuuuuut... It's Midterm Exam season and if I went with my original plan, this wouldn't be posted for another couple of weeks. T^T But I've got a plan for the next segment figured out, just have to follow the intermission note.**

**The sunrise scene was my favourite part to write. :3 I based it off an INCREDIBLE sunrise that I saw last summer in my home. Except it was at b u5 AM !/u /b (in case you can't tell, I'm NOT a morning person) and a thunderstorm soon followed shortly afterward. **

**So the next one probably won't be up for a while... (around two weeks) And I've got a Spain x Reader gift-fic to write which will be posted next Sunday and another photoshop chibi commish.**

**Hope you guys like! High fives for non-morning people and feedback is appreciated, strangling me for cutting it short is not generally appreciated. **

**(I still love you guys ;D )**

**Enjoy!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! Heads up for potty mouthing from Lovino and from you. I'll talk more at the bottom, I suggest that you read my comments after the story. Enjoy :)**

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><p>You keep on moving in the North Eastern direction of the jungle with a few parrots still hanging around. A couple of them were echoing your sister's screams while the other ones were echoing Lovino's voice 'SHUT THE FUCK UP!'<p>

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Lovino smirked. He looked up and Antonio and a six of his men were at the base of the pyramid's staircase. Antonio leaned against a tree covering his ears. You could hear a parrot nannering on and on and on about things that need to be paid off.

"Ah! Senor Beilschmidt!" One of the sailors unplugged his ears and greeted you. "The entrance is just this way. We'd be more than ready to go… except… Our captain…" A couple of parrots started squawking in a woman's voice repeating numbers and places over and over and over. It was rather annoying. While three others were say 'Shall be hung by the neck until dead.' Like an echo. They turned their eyes on your group, screamed that boy's voice then imitated Victoria's screams.

"I got this. Here, (Name), give me your gun." You gave Lovino your pistol and he stepped towards the parrots. "SHUT THE FUCK UP AND SCRAM!" He fired the pistol at the tree but missed on purpose which sent the parrots flying away screaming "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

He walked over to Antonio who was still leaning against the tree and muttering "So much debt… So much to pay off… I'll never be able to do it…"

Lovino grabbed the front of his shirt and slapped him across the face. The cracking sound he made was so loud that it made you jump.

"Snap out of it, you bastard! Those damn parrots are gone!"

"Oh… Lovi… Thanks. Gilbert. We've got a huge problem. Kirkland's crew is already here. Most of my men separated from us already."

"Same here. At least you got some men left. Mine are all fighting them." Gilbert said. "Then we ran into those black bastards."

"We ran into some carnivorous plants then those bird brains along with Kirkland's crew. Apparently, they imitate things that we fear the most."

"And they imitate the things that are scarier." You point to Lovino.

"I'm just glad we found the pyramid before we ran into worse things." Antonio sighed in relief.

"That may be a little too early to say that, Tonio. We've got a giant lobster to fry somewhere in there and Gott only knows what else."

"Ooh, oh oh! Can I cook it? It would make a good feast for when we get back." Feliciano raised his hand.

"Uh… Feli... I think you missed the part where he said it was GIANT." You turn your head to him.

"Exactly! And that's why it'll be a feast!" Feliciano smiled absently. He was just so freakin' adorable and you weren't sure if he was trying to be funny or not. Either way, it cheered you up.

Your eyes followed the stairs at the base of the pyramid. They were narrow and very close together which would be a very exhausting trip up. If they were more spread out, it would be easier to climb. For now you would walk carefully up there then go into the ruins.

Antonio ordered his men to help Gilbert's crew keep Kirkland's crew at bay. There would be a signal fire lit then they must retreat and were expected to return immediately.

You followed Feliciano and Lovino up the stairs with Sakura beside you and Gilbert and Antonio behind you. The golden temple like entrance was increasing in size every little step you took, tightening your stomach into a knot. It was like walking up to the gallows on your execution date, you don't want anything to do with it and you want another chance, another way out, but it just mocks you by increasing in size every baby step you take.

Once you arrived at the top, two statues stood by the entrance. They appeared to be human until you say the head which were like... a dog. You've never seen anything exactly like it but it looked like a dog. You drew your sword after you finished admiring the statue and walked over to the foot of the statue on the right, there was a map of the ruins inside.

"That's helpful…" You mutter. The ruins were huge and looked like it was a massive labyrinth. There was a large symbol with the head of a dragon in the top left corner and you were sure that's where the Seal itself was.

"Are we all ready to go?" Sakura turned to the group. "Let's do this quickly. I memorized the map so please, let me lead the way. The sooner we go in, the sooner we can help our allies." You all ran through the entrance, with Gilbert and Sakura grabbing a couple of torches along the way. You followed the dark and damp corridor until there was a cross road to the left and to the right. Sakura held her torch to the left and carefully inspected the path.

"Is this where we're supposed to go?" Antonio asked.

"Hai. But I can't help feel like something's going to happen. There's something near, I'm not sure what." You listened carefully and you could hear the wind howling down here and it sounded like something was moaning.

You thought you saw something green out of the corner of your eye and you whipped your head around to find nothing.

"There you are.~" You heard a voice purr and you felt arms wrap around your waist.

"Who's there?" You shout in panic. [1]

"(Name), what is it? Get away from there!" Gilbert knocked you to the floor and you watched as a light blue light engulfed him.

"Gilbert!" You screamed as he disappeared. All that was left was a small seal with a pentagram engraved on it.

"That's a teleporting seal." Lovino said. "Only experienced magic users can produce them."

"Then it's probably Kirkland's." Antonio said gravely. "Gil's gonna be fine. He can handle Kirkland. But not for very long, we've got to keep moving."

You followed Sakura through the corridors, noticing a symbol along the floor as you walked along. It was an red symbol then when you were at a cross roads, where the path split into three, the path to your right was violet, the path ahead was indigo and the left was yellow. Sakura took you down the violet path and every step you took, you could have sworn there was something moaning and groaning.

The corridors were lit by torches and along the sides were iron gates. Within the gates, there were mountains of treasure, treasure chests, and torture equipment in every other cell. The walls inside the cells had some sort of hieroglyphics on them while the corridor walls and the floor were all a dark brown stones that were perfectly pressed together.

Once you reached the end of the violet path, your path was blocked by an iron gate. It could still be opened, you followed the gears and chains to see if you could spot a switch or lever. The pulley that was used to open the gate was underground so there was no switch or anything in site. Feliciano went to one corner of the room where it looked like it was a cubicle.

"Hey, everyone, I think I found what we need to open the door!" There was a large lever on the floor that was just waiting to be pulled.

"Hold on, idiot brother, don't touch any-" Feliciano pulled the lever before he could finish. There was a loud rumbling and you could hear a gate being raised and a large 'clank' as if it was locked in place. You turned around and the gate was still shut.

"Why didn't it open?" You wondered out loud.

"Perhaps this is some sort of puzzle?" Sakura replied. "I memorized the layout of this labyrinth but I don't know what it is the puzzle."

"The stones on the floor… What if they were our clue?"

"What did they look like, (Name)?" Feliciano asked.

"I can't really describe what they're shape is but they're different colours. The one that was on the path after we lost Gilbert was red, these ones are violet and the other ones at that cross road were blue and yellow."

"They're colours of the rainbow! We should follow them in order!"

"But there was no orange…" You sighed. "So should we start with following the yellow path?"

"Alright! Let's- Veeeeeeeeeee!" Feliciano shrieked. A hand suddenly came out of the ground along with an upper torso. Its flesh was rotten and bandages were half wrapped around its body and dangling from its arms. Its empty eye sockets were glowing an eerie red.

"Holy shit, what the hell is that?" Lovino yelped. Feliciano ran behind you as you and Antonio raised your weapons. Once it came from the ground, Antonio charged at it and within a few powerful strokes with his axe, he diced it into bits.

"I have a feeling that he's not the only one." Antonio said. "This goes without saying that we should be ready for anything."

You followed the violet stones back to the cross road and sure enough, more of those mummy like creatures kept on popping up along your path. They weren't very difficult to defeat with your attacks but they had a nasty retaliation if they hit back. As you passed the cells, there were even skeletons walking around wielding weapons within them. They were rattling the cell bars in a threatening manner as you passed.

You followed the yellow trail until it met an orange trail then followed an orange trail until it came to a room like the one you need to go through. There was a lever on the wall with a yellow symbol underneath it.

"This will probably open all of the cells along the yellow corridor. We have to keep going until we find the level with the purple symbol." Sakura said.

"Oh that's brilliant." Lovino sneered. "Why couldn't the designers of this place just have ONE master lever then we can just book it?"

"If I had to guess, this place is set to test humans to see if they're worthy of facing the guardians. I've dreamed of something like this before, where these humans have to overcome these challenges and puzzles and defeat horrifying monsters to survive. And usually the attractive ones don't make it. It would be so weird if something like that happened."[2] Sakura's eyes went distant as she had a hint of a smile. "Oh, sorry, I got a little carried away."

"Yeah… Maybe in a couple hundred years… This is my limit for adventure and horror." You say slowly.

You continued down the paths to their ends to find the levers with many enemies along the way. The skeletons were a little more difficult to handle. They were knocked out with yours and Antonio's attacks but until Feliciano and Lovino intervened with their spells, they couldn't be destroyed.

There were some treasure chests in the cells and you took a second to go through them to find any useful items. You found some bottles with something in them in most of them. Feliciano and Lovino identified them as potions and that they were alright to drink. You were still skeptical about it, it was how many years old and how do you know it wasn't poison instead of healing potions? But it passed Feliciano and Lovino's inspection as they were experienced magic users and had knowledge of some potions and could tell which ones were poison and which ones were good.

You found another potion that was different from the rest, it was a light yellow colour and smelt very sweet compared to the healing potions that smelt like rotten cabbage. This one was identified as a speed enhancing potion by Feliciano. He knew because apparently, he drank a lot when he was younger when he mistook it for juice. You thought that maybe that's the reason why Feliciano is faster than anyone you've ever seen but he said it only lasted for a little while. You decided to keep it with you for later.

You finally went through the entire maze and found the lever you needed to open the gate. Once you were through the gate, you found another switch that closed it behind you so that skeletons couldn't follow your group. You could hear water rushing and echoing in the corridor.

"The Seal's just up ahead. We should take a few moments to recover before we proceed." You were all covered with scratches and scrapes from the labyrinth. You took out the healing potions and divided them among the five of you. You cringed at its horrible taste, it was worse than (least favourite food). You pretended that your mother was there reprimanding you to finish it all without question as if it were (least favourite food). Once you were done, you felt a cool tingling feeling around your body. Your injuries were starting to fade immediately and it felt like pressure was being relieved off your back. You cringed after you were done your portion, saving some for later if you needed it, thinking that bitter taste in your mouth would last for hours.

You could see the Vargas brothers struggling to take theirs but managed to do it. Lovino spat on the ground followed by a string of curses in his language and in English.

"Tastes worse than shit."

"But it gets the job done. Funny how medicine makers like to torment us. The best things always taste the worst." You chuckled to make light of the situation. "Let's go."

As you continued down the corridor, the echo of the roaring water was getting louder and louder and light was entering the corridor. Once you reached the end of the corridor, you were amazed to see what was before you.

This place was a world of its own, bluefish grey cliffs surrounded you, decorated with vines and other mosses. You could see above you, there was a spiral path that led to the top of the cliff and you could see part of a tree. However, the entrance to the spiral path was not accessible from the floor that you were on. Below you was a huge pool and you could barely see an entrance to a carven in it. The path ahead was the only way to go and it was damaged and broken into stepping pillars that were close together and easy to get across. The path ahead lead to a level below you that was halfway to the pool and it seemed like that path lead to the ground floor, to the pool itself. If this was the place where the lobster lived, they could have easy access to you but what choice did you have?

You went across the pillars and pressed your back against the wall as you walked along the narrow path. The waterfall in front of you as you passed was magnificent, you've never seen anything like it. Although you weren't too fond of the noise that it made. You made your way down to the lower level and you arrived at a large circular area like an arena. There was a massive sandstone door that had a dragon engraving on it, its wings were spread out like it was about to take flight. It was just like your typical storybook dragon, large wings, large horns, a pointed snout, and a lethal looking tail that had the shape of a spade.

"I was kinda hoping the Seal would be more extravagant than this." You say quietly.

"Well, there's no lobster here. What are the chances somebody already mutilated it?" Lovino said out loud while looking around. There was a deafening roar that echoed all around. You drew your weapons as you stepped a little closer to the waterfall waiting for the lobster to appear. Instead, something zoomed past you and landed on the arena with a loud BANG. You whip your head around to see a massive half decayed-half bones showing dragon just like the one on the door. It's eyes were still intact and they were a dark orange. It's black body was imitating and its tail was all bones, barely intact but the spade on the end was bloody and sharp looking.

"Okay, skeletons and mummies are one thing, but a DRAGON? Where the heck do you find a dragon?" You shout. There was another roar behind you and you whip your head around to see that the waterfall stopped and a lobster's head and claws appeared. It looked like it was armoured as a silver coat glazed the top half of its body parts.

"Does that answer your question, Lovino?" You say. The dragon took a deep breath and you could see a large ember in its exposed rib cage. You all jumped away as it breathed a stream of fire. You had to dodge again quickly as a powerful claw came down on your level making the entire floor rumble.

"Vee! How are we going to do this?"

"Take out the dragon first. It has long range attacks whereas the lobster can't really touch us unless if we're really close." Antonio said.

"I'll keep the lobster at bay with my song. Don't follow me until you're done with the dragon." Sakura dashed alongside of the path you just came from and started singing which started to affect the lobster but didn't completely stop it. All she could do was slow down its movements.

The dragon breathed another stream of fire and once it was gone, you and Antonio charged at it and started attacking it's front legs while Feliciano and Lovino started attacking it's head and its tail with various spells. It roared in pain and aimed its tail at you and Antonio. It failed to stab you but it flung both of you against the wall leaving you winded.

Feliciano and Lovino were its next targets and they didn't seem to be moving. They were back to back, glaring at in the eye, with one hand intertwined with the other's and the other hands were glowing.

"Are you ready, idiot brother?" Lovino asked.

"Vee!" Feliciano nodded. The faced their palms to the dragon.

"(Name), Antonio, stay down! We're taking this bastard out!" Lovino shouted. Their hands were glowing an intense white light.

"Together! Rosa Fiamma!" Several threads of flames danced on the floor and in the air, encircling the dragon and imprisoning it with the shape of a flaming rose. You could hear it roar in pain as everything was cloaked in light. You were impressed on how skilled Feliciano and Lovino were despite their appearances. Once the light faded, the dragon was still alive, barely moving but still alive. And. It. Was. Pissed.

You all took turns coordinating your attacks with each other, trying to keep it down however not without retaliation. The dragon threw you all around when it could but you managed to get back on your feet every time. You couldn't give up. You had to keep fighting. For Victoria. Victoria will surly die if you don't get the treasure. That drove you to power up your attacks at any cost.

You remembered that you had that potion you found earlier. You jumped out of the dragon's attacking range to swallow a good portion. It tasted much better than that healing potion. And once it went to your stomach, your feet suddenly felt funny, as if you were wearing some sort of skates which made you dash around the arena.

You attacked it quickly and mercilessly and it couldn't strike you because you were too quick and you were careful not to get too close to the waterfall so the lobster could possibly attack you. At it looked like Sakura couldn't even get a dent on the lobster but was able to get the armour off of its head.

This was becoming a long and drawn out battle. The dragon was close to defeat but the lobster looked even tougher. You had an idea: if there was nothing that you had that could penetrate the armour of the lobster, get the dragon to kill it. You shouted to Sakura to lure the lobster over to where you were.

She did so and it was right on the edge of the arena, ready to strike anything. You instructed for Antonio and the Vargas brothers wait until the last minute. You lured the dragon closer to the edge, with its eyes on you. You whipped your head back and forth between the two monsters. They raised their tail and their claw respectively and it was coming straight at you. Sakura started singing and the lobster stopped moving and the dragon's tail went straight for the lobster's head.

"Lovi!"

"Stupid brother!"

"Rosa Fiamma!" You dove out of the way as several threads of flames danced under your feet, once more encircling and engulfing the dragon, crumbling it into dust. You panted heavily as you stared at the pile of dust and the headless lobster. You couldn't believe it, you actually defeated the guardians.

A glowing green circle stood on the ground in front of the stone door that was meant for you. You felt your heart pound with anticipation and total nervousness. You carefully walked onto the circle and stared at the door, expecting it to open.

"What's the hold up?" Lovino asked out loud.

"Perhaps one of us has to open it ourselves while (Name) is standing there?" Sakura pondered.

"I don't think so, Señorita. It should open on its own."

"Valiant champions," A voice boomed from nowhere. "I congratulate you for surviving the trials but here is where your journey must end. None of you possess the blood of Corazana and I cannot allow you to proceed."

"Corawho?" Lovino raised an eyebrow.

"She's the mother of the Pure Ones. The source of all of their power." You turned to him.

"However, I sense a child is here but they must come on their own will to gain access to the treasure."

"Vee~? Bu-but (Name) is a Pure One!"

"And I truly wish to seek the treasure, not for myself but for my friend. Please, I humbly request access." You say to the sky.

"You do not possess Corazana's blood and the one who does is not here on their own free will. Now, begone."

You felt your heart sank to your stomach as the circle faded. That glowing jade stone was faulty or something. You weren't a Pure One. You couldn't get the treasure to free Ludwig and Victoria.

"(Name)? You are a Pure One... aren't you?" Feliciano asked shakily and looked like he was about to burst into tears.

"Feli- I swear I didn't know. I only know what I've been told. There- there must be a mistake." You looked at him in disbelief and remorse. You only knew what you've been told.

"Before we jump to conclusions, please, think about this. That voice said the Pure One is here but did not come on their own free will." Sakura said. "Perhaps (Name) chan is being hesitant?"

"Of course not. If my sister is in danger I would do anything to protect her."

"What about that day Gilbert found you?" Antonio asked. "His stone was the brightest when he was close to you?"

"When I went to- ... Oh God!" You gripped your hair in horror. "It's Victoria!"

"We made a horrible mistake." Antonio said slowly. "We have to get back outside, now."

"There's a transporter at the bottom of the waterfall. It's a shortcut that humans made so that they wouldn't have to face the monsters in the ruins again, I'm sure of it." Sakura pointed to a golden floating stone on a lower level below you.

"Touch that and I'm sure it will go back to the other one outside the pyramid."

"Hang on, we can't go back empty handed. We can still pull this off." You looked around for something that could be used as the treasure. There were tons of gold and other small items in the ruins but you didn't want to face the skeletons and zombies for one measly piece of treasure.

"The pool at the bottom." Sakura pointed. "Occasionally there are items dropped in the water."

You climbed down to the bottom of the waterfall. The stone was on your right, waiting to be touched. You went to the left, carefully circling around the rim scanning for anything that could be used. The water was a crystal clear blue that was rippling from the waterfall and it was difficult to see anything on the bottom because of the waves.

"Any volunteers to go down and look?" Lovino turned his head to everyone else.

"I'll go. I'm the one who's supposed to get a treasure so..." You were about to take your boots off and dive in but Sakura stopped you.

"No, (Name) chan. I'll go. If you come out wet, they might know you got something from the bottom of the pool instead of the Seal. There are no waterways into the Seal itself, I'm sure of that."

"But didn't you say that you couldn't swim without your fin?" It had slipped your mind to ask why Sakura had her fin stripped from her and made a mental note to ask later.

"No. Thanks to Feliciano kun, I can fully use my legs. I'm a fast learner so how hard can it be?"

"Alright..." You sighed. Sakura dove into the pool head first and you could see her go deeper into the water with ease as if she did have a fin and it seemed like it was bottomless as Sakura appeared only to be a goldfish. She finally stopped going down and you could see her barely move around on the bed.

Soon you could see her coming back up quickly. She shot to the surface, arching her back and lightly gasping for air as her body burst from the surface. She sank a little, leaving her head above the water as she carefully swam toward you with yours and Feliciano's hands waiting to take hers and help her out. She accepted your hands and carefully climbed up.

"There wasn't much down there. This was the only thing that seemed to be very valuable. And I don't think there's enough time for me to look deeper. But if I must, I will." Sakura held out a pendant that was made out of solid gold with a ruby stone embedded in it. It probably wasn't even close to what the treasure should be but you had to use something.

"I know! What if we could use a bit of magic on it to make it more convincing? Like a controlling spell. That sounds like something Kirkland would want." Feliciano suddenly got an idea and you thought it might work. The treasure has some kind of power that anyone could use, right?

"I dunno... I'd rather not give him something he could possibly use to his advantage." Antonio frowned.

"It's a WEAK spell, genius. It will be very easy to break from." Lovino said irritably.

"Besides, even if we did have the treasure, we'd be giving something to Kirkland that he could use for power if we are gonna get Ludwig and Victoria back." Antonio nodded his head slightly at you because you had a point. Sacrifices had to be made to save a loved one.

Lovino and Feliciano chanted their spell as quick as they could and you all headed for the stone. Once you touched it, it felt like you were being sucked down a drain. Everything was blurry and it felt like you were riding a tornado. You stumbled upon landing, almost losing your balance before you stood upright.

Once your vision cleared, you were surrounded by pirates. You whipped your head back and forth to see only crewmen you have never seen before. You started to panic but you kept calm because you remembered to keep a solid defence in case Arthur decided to turn his spell on you. You looked around and there was no sign of Gilbert.

"Well well well. What do we have here?" A thick British accent drawled from behind you. You whipped around to see Arthur himself and your friends/allies being held by his crewmen and had weapons pointed at them.

"Arthur Kirkland." You growled at the pirate in the red coat before you.

"That's my name, lass. Would you give me the pleasure of giving me yours, Lady Pure One?" He had a cruel smile.

"(Name). Where's Gilbert? What did you do with him?" Seeing his amused expression made your blood boil. You willed every cell of your body not to attack him here and now.

"Instead of worrying about him, shouldn't you be asking about your sister?" He said slyly. Your entire being froze and you felt your heart stopped. She actually is here. No illusion. No trick whatsoever. And the entire crew's lives are at stake as well. Everything was all on your shoulders.

That blonde haired pirate with the cowlick carried Victoria in his arms with a look of pity or remorse on his face. Victoria was asleep and didn't even budge.

"Tori!" You screamed and took a step forward but stopped yourself. No response from her whatsoever. 'Oh God, please let her be alive.'

Soon, Gilbert was being dragged by his neck by a man a head taller than him and slicked back blonde hair and lifeless blue eyes. Gilbert was beaten up and was resisting as much as he could but he didn't seem to be using his entire strength.

"West, I'm your BRUDER! It's me, Gilbert! Snap out of it and let go of me! Ludwig! I swear I'll kill you, you English bastard!" Gilbert snarled at Kirkland but his expression softened once he saw you. "(Name)!"

"Gilbert!" You realize that was Ludwig, Gilbert's brother. You couldn't imagine anything worse than having your own sibling turn against you.

"Oh, you really do care for each other?" Arthur smirked and turned his gaze back to you. "After what that person did to you and your poor sister, you actually care for him? He's a pirate-" Arthur pointed at him.

"He's not the monster YOU are." You bare your teeth. He murdered your parents. He turned Gilbert's own brother against him. He has your sister hostage. There was no way that you could forgive him. He was no longer classified as a human in your eyes.

"It's not polite to interrupt."

"If I learned anything about pirates, manners are the last thing on their minds. I have the treasure from the Seal. I'll give it to you if you hand over Ludwig and my sister and let Gilbert's and Antonio's crew go unharmed." You chose your words very carefully so that there would be no possible loopholes.

Arthur gave a short chuckle.

"You do realize that is a very large demand, (Name). One piece of treasure must be very valuable to obtain all of those demands. But, as a gentleman and nothing against you personally, I will release the crew members for now. I only held them to make sure that you wouldn't run." He snapped his fingers and everyone who was being held at the end of a weapon no longer were threatened but they were being held back.

"I don't really plan to." The atmosphere was so tense between you and Arthur, it gave you an uneasy, sickening feeling.

"The treasure is enough to warrant Ludwig's freedom. But... It's not enough to warrant the freedom of your allies AND your sister." He put his hands behind his back and smirked. "So now you have to make a choice: Your allies or your sister? Whichever you don't take with you will serve me forever."

You would immediately have said your sister but you whipped your head around to look at everyone who was taken hostage. The looks on their faces were heartbreaking to you. They knew you long enough to know that you would do anything to protect and fight for those you care about. You have grown to care for them but your sister was far above them on your priority list. There must be another way out. There must!

Your eyes met Gilbert's and he shook his head at you with a resigned expression in his eyes, ready to accept his fate. You didn't want to lose him, or anyone else but what choice did you have?

"Well? What's your decision (Name)?" You stared ahead, wide eyed and unable to speak.

Victoria's voice was in your head and a faint apparition of her was standing beside you. You turned your head to the side and her bright turquoise eyes were vibrant, strong and determined to save you.

"Big sister, don't choose me! You'll lose everything! It's a trap! Please, trust me!" Your heart couldn't take any more damage. Why must this place torture you so? They portray your sister always out of your reach.

"Please, I'll be fine. You can't do everything on your own. I'm right here, next to you. I'll be with you no matter what." She touched your arm and you felt warm as she faded. You knew that was your Tori, she was telling the truth. Arthur couldn't do anything to her if she was in you.

"I love you, Tori." You whispered.

You made up your mind and returned your look to Arthur.

"The crew. Release my friends." Arthur looked surprise as if that was not what he was expecting along with the other crew members. The one who looked the most horrified was Gilbert.

You gave him a brave glance not unlike the one you gave the townspeople that said 'Trust me, I know what I'm doing.' The pirates let them go save for Gilbert who was still being held in a headlock by Ludwig.

"After you hand over the treasure, you be on your way. Any funny business here and you'll be witnessing a true pirate battlefield." Arthur said.

You took the pendant from your pants pocket and unravelled it and dangled it by its chain.

"The one who wears this will be yours to control." You tossed it to Arthur who inspected it carefully. You held your breath and prayed that he would believe you. You were eagerly anticipating him to order Ludwig free.

"I must admit, Miss (Name), you have true courage and strength to put yourself in danger to retrieve this." His sadistic grin steadily grew which made you shiver. Your heart was pounding in your ears as you took deep silent breaths. "However, as much as I praise you for going through all of this trouble... This isn't part of our bargain and if it was, it doesn't satisfy me." He had a cruel cold smile that made your heart stop completely out of fear.

"You back stabbing assho-ah!" Ludwig tightened the grip around Gilbert's neck. "You wanted a Pure One for the treasures!" He growled in a raspy voice.

"I said I wanted a Pure One, I never said anything about the treasures." Arthur smirked. You noticed that his eyes were changing colour from emerald to gold. That was the exact appearance he was in on that night and it made you furious seeing him. "You failed to bring either. But that doesn't mean you won't be useful to me." It felt like those eyes could stare through your soul. You hand your had on the hilt of your sword, ready to draw it.

"What?" Gilbert shouted.

"Do I really need to spell it out for you, Beilschmidt? You chose the wrong person. I have the Pure One but she went to (Name) and I can't do anything unless she comes with me."

"Mein Gott…" Gilbert gasped.

"You can't use the Pure One's powers if they're not willing to. I WILL NOT help you and I WILL NOT let you have my sister's heart." You draw your sword, ready to attack. Antonio had his axe ready and Lovino and Feliciano were close together with their hands starting to glow.

"You need their consent only for the treasures. I just need their body, heart and soul and you're being extremely difficult (Name). I can't even take your heart because you're so well protected."

"Good. That means I'm doing what I'm supposed to." Arthur drew his sword quickly as you raised yours. Gilbert broke free from Ludwig's grasp and went in front of you protectively. Arthur jumped back from him as Gilbert thrust his sword.

"Get back to the ships, now! I'll be right behind you!" He shouted before Arthur lunged at him crossing their blades. You watched as that pirate who was carrying your sister's body disappear into the bush. You were about to run after him but you knew that this wasn't the last you'll see of Arthur. You could get her body back later. She was safe in the very least.

"Vee! Ludwig, wait!" Feliciano didn't follow the others and ran after Ludwig.

"Feli! You can't go in there by yourself!" You ran after Feliciano in the bush. He was so far ahead of you and every time you felt like you were catching up he would go further ahead.

Feliciano tripped over something, and it triggered a vine which left him dangling by his ankle.

"(Name)! Help me! Help me!" He cried while flailing his arms desperately. Your eyes followed the vine to where it was tied around a nearby tree and you ran over to it, ready to cut it.

"Brace yourself, Feli!"

"Not so fast, girly. You're coming with us." Two British pirates emerged from the bush and charged at you. You blocked their attacks and forced them to move back. Your arm was always in motion and lightning fast, denying any form of access that they could use. You realized what kind of tree this was and as soon as you got the chance, you swung at the trunk, bringing down a rather large coconut on his head, knocking him out.

You shuffled back towards Feliciano with the other pirate following you. You started by pretending to attack him from above and the abdomen when it was open but he was quick to block it. You were right next to the vine that held Feliciano and when the pirate aimed for your abdomen, you moved away at the last moment which struck the vine trunk and dropped Feliciano.

You quickly grabbed his right arm and bent it behind his back then threw him to the ground, winding him. You ran to get Feliciano and were about to run away until something grasped Feliciano and positioned him in a lethal headlock, ready to snap his neck.

"Ludwig! Ludwig don't! He's your friend isn't he? Put him down!" You shouted at him. You couldn't draw your sword on him and your only hope was to reason with him.

"Vee! Ludwig! Please don't! I don't wanna hurt you! Fight him! Fight Arthur!"

"West!" Gilbert appeared of nowhere, panting heavily. "West, listen to me! You have the power to resist him. You can do it. Put Feli down." Ludwig seemed a little more responsive and lightened his grip a little. You could see Ludwig cringing and scowling as if he had a headache. He used one hand to grip his forehead. Feliciano was able to turn around in his grip and placed his hand on Ludwig's heart.

"Let's go home. Together." He chanted something and a white light appeared around Feliciano's hand. Once it faded, Ludwig relaxed his grip and blinked several times. He let go of Feliciano and looked around. You could see his eyes looked better, full of life although his emotionless expression was still mostly there. He looked very surprised.

"Feli... Feliciano?" His voice was very deep which fit his appearance, you thought.

"Vee~ Ludwig's back!" Feliciano cried happily as he threw him in a tackle hug. "I can actually hug you now!~"

Ludwig continued to observe his surroundings and stopped wide eyed when he saw Gilbert.

"Bru-Bruder?"

"West! You're finally back!" Gilbert ran up and hugged him tightly, squeezing Feliciano in the middle. "Gott, I missed you so much! You grew, you grew!" You could even see Gilbert crying tears of joy.

As much as you were happy for Gilbert, it hurt so much watching him. You had to turn your head away. You lost Victoria. You didn't lose her completely as her soul was in you, but still... You couldn't embrace her; you couldn't feel that same joy without her being physically here with you. But the thought of it happening soon increased your motivation to win this fight against Arthur. For now, you knew you had to retreat.

"Gilbert, we need to go. Now." You said.

"You're not going anywhere." Arthur emerged from the path that you came from and you were surrounded by several members of his crew, hopelessly outnumbering you. "(Name), I suggest that you come with me otherwise all of you die."

"This fight is between you and me, Kirkland." Gilbert snarled. "Leave her out of this!"

"Oh really?" He drawled. "I could have sworn (Name) wishes to strike me down as well. I can see it in her eyes." He said as he approached you and met your eyes. "Don't you hate me? Aren't you furious with me? I took your sister away. I took your parents away and burned your home to the ground." He stepped back and spread his arms out.

"Go ahead. Shoot me. Drive your sword through me. I won't stop you." His ghostly grin sent shivers down your spine. You closed your eyes as you heard the voices raging inside of you. Attack him. Get revenge. Who cares if it's a trap? You will take him down with you. You have the power.

'No, I won't. Victoria needs me. I have people I care about that need me.' Your mind flashed images of the townspeople, Matt, Feliciano and Lovino, Antonio and Francis, Sakura and Victoria, and finally, Gilbert.

"It's going to take more than that for me to fall into your trap." You smirked as you opened your eyes. You and Feliciano went back to back, stretching out your arms.

"Vento Rafficato!" You blasted all of the weapons out of the pirates' hands and some of the pirates as well. Gilbert drew his sword and charged at Kirkland while you, Feliciano and Ludwig dealt with the other pirates. You defeated most of them without much difficulty however, the one that had your sister was fighting you and you were having a very hard time with him. He made you skid back quite a bit every time he clashed his blade with yours and you admired his strength. Although you had a feeling that he was holding back.

You heard Arthur chant a haunting spell and out of nowhere, skeletons started to march towards you, wielding bloody weapons that were ready to kill.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" You said loudly.

"If can get up, it can go down." Ludwig said. "Don't let your guard down, no matter the odds."

"Right." You raise your sword again.

"Wait! Look! It's Lovi's seal!" Feliciano pointed behind you and a red and green tomato like circle was a few seconds dash away from you. You look over to Gilbert and he was moving further and further away from it while dueling with Arthur. You ran towards him only getting caught on the arm by a skeleton. Its bony hand had an incredibly strong grip on you.

"Beat it, Bonehead!" You punch the skull with all your might knocking it back but still attached to the spine. You shake your hand in pain afterward, you never knew bone was so hard. While it was reattaching it's head, you broke free and ran to Gilbert and Arthur. "Vento Rafficato!" You blast Arthur away and grab Gilbert's arm. "We have a way out! Let's go!" He followed you to Lovino's circle which was starting to fade.

Feliciano pushed Ludwig onto it and he instantly disappeared. You pushed Gilbert on it before he could push you and disappeared as well.

"(Name), go!" Feliciano shouted. You barely touched the circle with your toe when you were pulled back out of it by a skeleton.

"Feli!" You screamed as you reached for his hand. Feliciano used a powerful spell to disintegrate the skeleton and pushed you onto the circle. You reached to grasp his arm to pull him with you but he made you let go and gave you a sad smile.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" He said before he faded away.

"Feliciano!" You were being sucked down a chute and soon you landed on the deck of a pirate ship laying on your stomach with your arm reaching out to the fading light. "No…" You lowered your arm and sank your head with tears streaming down your cheeks. You could faintly see Sakura, Antonio, Francis, Gilbert and Ludwig and that blonde pirate from before around you. Apparently he was captured at some point.

"(Name)? What happened to Feliciano?" Lovino asked, kneeling next to you.

"That idiot!" You cried as you sat up on your knees. "I was… I was supposed to… Not him!" You buried your face in your hands.

"He-he was captured?" Gilbert's tone was frightening. It was worse than that night it was cold, fierce and uncontrollable. "Why didn't you help him?" He shouted at you.

"You think I didn't TRY?" You shot up angrily. You could see the rage in Gilbert's eyes. It was nothing like before. He got Ludwig back but he just lost someone very dear to him. And what about you? You were in much worse condition. You had to give up your sister to save Gilbert and the crew and you lost your dear friend. You were starting to lose it too.

"Bruder, please, calm down!" Ludwig tried to hold his brother back. "Don't do anything rash!"

"This is your entire fault! You liar! You lied about being a Pure One! If you were actually the Pure One this would have never happened!" How dare he! You wanted nothing to do with this to begin with!

"MY FAULT? I didn't lie about anything! I only knew what YOU told me! YOU'RE the one who dragged me into this!" Lovino stepped in and held you back by your arms.

"You VOLUNTEERED!"

"Stop it right now before either of you says something you'll regret." Antonio warned you as he stepped in between you two.

"Only to save my sister! You were going to kill her if I didn't become your sex toy!" You couldn't keep your rage in and everything just came out what you've been holding in. And several more things that you never intended to say. "If anyone should be called a liar it's YOU, you devil eyed bastard! You could see who was a Pure One! You were just using me being a Pure One as a fucking excuse so you could use me! You know what? I'm done being used by you! Follow up on your goddamn threat, kill the people in my home! You might as well. You killed my sister." You couldn't stop your mouth fast enough. It just spilled out and the crew was left speechless. Your words stabbed you harder than you unintentionally stabbed him. But your body didn't want to stop, you had to make him pay. "I HATE YOU! I wish I could just disappear so that I won't want to kill you next time I see your stupid face again!"

You finally were able to stop yourself with tears streaming out of your eyes. You never felt more regretful in your life. You never lashed out at anyone like this before and you wanted to apologize immediately. You could see that the rage in Gilbert's eyes has been replaced by shock and pain.

"(Name)..."

You were about to apologize until your pocket started to glow violet and you looked down in horror. That stone! You completely forgot about it! It was something of Arthur's and that meant bad news for you.

"Hey, you found my Homing Stone! Thanks- Wait a minute!" The blonde pirate broke free of the pirate that was holding him and shoved Lovino to the ground before the light engulfed everything. You and that blonde pirate disappeared into thin air.

Several sailors called your name in horror but Gilbert barely whispered it as a tear rolled down his cheek.

I'm sorry… I didn't mean it…

* * *

><p><strong>[1]- Oh Canada, you perv ;) Kidding... I'm not sure whether or not to add Canada. I'd like to hear your opinions, people!<strong>

**[2] Horror survival games FTW! (Or at least watching them is awesome :3 ) **

**Ladies and Gentlemen, the long awaited Chapter 8 is finally here! 16 and a half pages long!**

**How many of you guys HONESTLY didn't see that coming? With Victoria being a Pure One instead of the reader? ;D It was so hard for me to keep my mouth shut about it. And... speaking of Tori... I made a little tune for her here. http:/www. youtube .com/ watch ?v = unDuBGp6RU0**

**It's not perfect, I'm an amateur at the piano and Movie Maker but when I have more practice, I'll most likely put up a better version and possibly more songs if I can come up with them :3**

**Chapter 9 is in progress, I'll try to get it up within my break along with Another Hetalia Fairytale 2 and sketches and other crap for sure **

**I feel so awful, with Feli being captured, you dropping a HUGE bombshell on Gilbert, and you being transported to strikewho /strike I know where along with Alfred. (Yes, that blond pirate WAS Alfred.)**

**Rosario Impale - Romaheta**  
><strong>You-you <strong>

**Alrighty: DJ Time! :)**

**Recommended songs:**

**Going into the ruins: http:/www. youtube . com/watch? v = GiHMT6PBtOE (Warning, this one may creep you out)**

**Coming out of the labyrinth:http:/www. youtube. com/watch?v =nEfFouj5C1M**

**The battle: http:/www. youtube .com/watch? v=gQW 3JHQpohA and http:/www. youtube .com/ watch? v=0KMzgJxbX-0**

**The truth: http:/www. youtube .com /watch? v=EpjqXrnH8_w**

**Meeting Arthur: http:/www. youtube .com/watch?v=EVAZIN_oZa8**

**Chasing after Feliciano:http:/www. youtube .com /wat ch?v=G-VP222ltCY**

**Return to the ship: http:/w ww. youtube. com/wa tch?v=5Paih7bcXtI**


	9. Chapter 9

You were being pulled into yet another high speed chute feeling. The waters were zooming underneath you and you could see a bright light up ahead. You were spat out onto a cold concrete floor. You were about to force yourself up until something landed on your back, knocking you back down.

"Mmn… Lovino, is that you? I think you need to lay off the toma-Aaaah!" You squirmed from underneath the blonde pirate and drew your sword quickly once you were free. The sound of the metal echoed the place you were in. "You!"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on there! I'm not going to hurt- *POW!* you!" You hit him so hard in the face that he skidded down the aisle. You drew your sword and had the tip hovering under his chin as he tried to back away.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't castrate you here and now. You know that girl you gave to Arthur? She's my sister." You growled dangerously as you slowly walk towards him and he was crawling back to a pew.

"Wait-wait! Let me explain! Par-parliament! Parnadia![1] Parsley! Pickles! Presley! Paranoia! Pleasedon'tchopoffmyballs! … Wait, Parley!"

"Dammit. Make it good."

"Okay. Hi! I'm Alfred F. Jones."

"I'm beyond pissed off. Make the talking quick and they better be good. You've got a LOT of grovelling to do if you want to keep your carcass in one piece. First off, where the hell are we?"

"Um… well… You know that stone you have? It's called a Homing Stone. It transports me back to Arthur's ship." He said nervously.

"That's helpful. Not. Does this look like a pirate ship to you?"

"Look- I-I don't really pay attention to a lot of stuff but I think the reason it's called a Homing Stone is that it takes you home."

"Home…" You ran to the nearest window, rub your sleeve on it to make a clear view and look outside. There were charred buildings and several badly burnt buildings and rubble from what you could see. You looked up and you recognized the ceiling and the dome. Its beautiful Roman paintings of child angels were faded but still quite visible, the white marble mosaic pieces surrounding it only suffered from some fire damage despite the magnitude of damage done outside. There was a small chimney width sized hole in the center of the dome, allowing ash and other small particles occasionally fall. The pews around you were birch wood, now stained grey from dust and ash.

An altar stood near you, its golden brass decors rusting into an ugly orange colour being proudly displayed on the highest step. A painting of angels crowning the Virgin Mother stood magnificently on the wall behind a charred and chipped Crucifix beyond the altar.

"My home… Andros…" You say then turn your head back to… what was his name? Alex? Alphonse? Aladdin?[2] "This was my home… before Arthur attacked it." You say softly as you walked down the aisle. That pirate had his gaze fixed on you and was still on the floor. "Ever since that night… I've been unable to bring myself to set foot here. I've been unable to face God or even go anywhere near a church. I felt hatred towards him. If there was a God, why didn't he intervene? Why couldn't he stop this from happening? If I learned anything from him, sacrifice is the only key to salvation. But… That's not the answer, is it? I did everything I could, I gave up everything that I desired to protect her. But it did nothing. If waiting for a hero doesn't work, and sacrificing yourself doesn't work, what will?"

Your voice bounced off the walls echoing your pain. The blonde pirate stood up and carefully walked towards you.

"Hey. I know you hate me at the moment (although I'm not entire sure why), but please listen. No matter what path you take, there will always be some hardships. It's what you learn from the experience that matters. It's what you learn that makes you stronger and it will work. You just have to keep your faith and keep on moving forward with your experiences." He smiled at you.

You took a deep breath to calm down more. "My sister. What's Arthur going to do to her? Is she going to be kept alive?"

"As far as I know, yeah. Since she's a Pure One he can't afford to kill her. Even if she wasn't, I don't think he'd kill her. He doesn't have the heart to. Besides, you can't kill something that's not living or dead, right?" This was not a good time to be joking around.

"I'm NOT in the mood for any kind of funny business. Either get serious or I leave you diced and dressed for the rats. Answer my questions and I'll go easy on you. First of all: Why does Arthur want Pure Ones if he's not after the treasures?"

"Well… It's not Arthur who's looking for Pure Ones. Not exactly. The Arthur that I know wouldn't do that."

"How could that 'not be Arthur'? I saw him kill my mother! Gilbert saw him take his brother and he demanded for Pure Ones to get Ludwig back."

"Yes… Well… That's not really Arthur. He's possessed."

"Now I draw the line for insanity. People with magic powers are one thing but POSSESSION?"

"It's true. He's possessed by a demon or something. He shows his true self most of the time but what he does now is all because of that demon. His bloodlust, his desire for Pure Ones, that's all of the demon's work. There's not a thing he could do about it until all of the Pure Ones are together and he'll be released. I know that much. … But your sister did help him when she was with us. There was something that changed in him when she was with us and I thought he finally got rid of the demon for good or was close to."

"If he was close to being free then why did he try to take my sister's soul?"

"He didn't want to, I swear in front of the Big Mac[3] himself, he didn't! He loved her like she was his own family! Heck, I adore her and I didn't want her to end up like this! I promised that when we'd arrive, she could come with me and I'd let you see you. I didn't realize she was a Pure One until we were on the island and… he cast the spell after we found her. His eyes, they were gold. They haven't been gold for a long time and I knew that demon was back."

"I have a hard time believing you actually cared for her." You couldn't believe what you were hearing. He witnessed your sister have her heart and soul snatched from her and he didn't do a thing despite that he claimed to adore her. "With that aside, why do you follow him? After what he's done?"

"Because he's my friend. My friend is still alive and still fighting. I follow my friends until the very end."

You reflect on what you said to Gilbert. You said hurtful things to him in retaliation to him getting mad at you for not fighting for Feliciano. You did your best, you truly did but you still failed. And now was your friendship shattered because of one huge mistake, accident, whatever you call it?

"Answer this otherwise I cut you into rat meat: What does it truly mean to be a friend? Feliciano was captured by Arthur while protecting me. I tried to save him but I failed. Now… Gilbert and the others surly hate me for it." You hung your head and tense up.

"I thought you said you weren't in the mood for jokes." He raised an eyebrow and grinned a bit.

"Just answer the damn question." You growled.

"Well… Friends don't hate you for something like that. They know you did your best. Besides, people screw up all the time and there's always a chance to fix things. What does it mean to truly be a friend? Hmm… I don't have the best answer but I know that real friends can forgive and forget those kinds of things and work together to be stronger and stick together to the end. I… hope that helps."

You didn't say anything as you were reflecting. You decided that you would apologize the second you got back. That is IF you got back. Scratch the if. When you got back, you will apologize to everyone and work with them to get Feliciano back as well as Victoria. The question is how. Gilbert is God only knows where and the only other way to quickly transport somewhere was probably using the stone to get back to Arthur's ship and that's a one way ticket to certain doom.

About Gilbert… how will you make it up to him? The things you said even intimidated you and hurt you 1000 times more than the worst thing you've ever experienced. You had some anger towards him but not like what you had lashed out. You felt… You weren't sure what to feel about him. You knew it was wrong to love someone who has been so cruel as to take you from your home and force you to do things that you don't want to. But he has displayed actual kindness, not the seductive-false-kindness-so-that-I-can-get-in-your-pants, but true kindness and caring feeling towards you and he saved your life despite that he was facing certain death himself. That one kiss that was different from the rest… Was it only last week that it happened? You really needed some guidance and advice.

"Ah! Visitors. How nice." You whip your head around to see three silhouettes emerge from the haze. One man, two women. You sheathed your sword as they started walking towards you.

"Brother Ivan." You say. Ivan and his sisters' family were heads of the church in your home before the raid. He towered over you as he approached which intimidated you slightly but his childlike and friendly appearance made you relax a bit. "Or should I say 'Father Ivan'?"

"Ah. (Name). You've grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you. And it's just Ivan. We aren't preachers anymore. We're just caretakers of the church. I'm quite surprised to see you here after so long."

"Yes. My mother didn't want me or my sister to come back here."

"Oh! Little Tori! She really is adorable. How is she doing?" Ivan's older sister, Katya crooned.

You hung your head and were unable to reply. You walked up to her and grabbed her hand gently.

"Come with me. Please." Katya happily walked along with you to the back of the church. There were some stairs that led to the bell tower and it a good place to go to talk to her. Katya was the person to go to when people needed advice. She had a kind, patient motherly aura and listened to everything anyone had to say and did her best to help.

"W-wait! Don't leave me… alone…" Alfred's voice died as Ivan was standing right behind him staring down at him.

Xxxxxx

Gilbert sat at his desk staring blankly at a map that he spread out hours ago, trying to calculate where Kirkland could possibly be. His ship disappeared before he could even chase after it. It never even occurred to him that it was Kirkland who was trying to get the Pure Ones together to free the demons. He knew that he wouldn't sink that low. Something was off, he wasn't sure what.

But he knew for sure that Feliciano and you were in danger. He knew that Feliciano would be hard to break and steal his soul and he has seen significant improvement in you so it would be difficult to take your soul and Victoria's as well. But there was no telling what Kirkland would do to find your breaking point.

He rested his elbow on the table and put his head on his palm. He squeezed his eyes shut as the echoes of your voice were roaring in his mind. 'I HATE YOU! I wish that I could disappear so that I won't want to kill you the next time I see your stupid face!' You had every reason to hate him, he knew that. He shouldn't have taken his anger out on you. It was Feliciano's choice to sacrifice himself and there is a way to save him. But the shock of losing him was too much, he couldn't stop himself from lashing out.

You had it even worse. You chose to give up your sister's body for the sake of the crew and Feliciano sacrificed himself for you. Gilbert was not expecting a severe tongue lashing from you like that. You would naturally retaliate to defend yourself- even from him- but nothing like this. How long did you harbour your hatred against him?

A better question would be is when did he start to consider your feelings?

You were his prize. He wanted something equal in value to the demand that you set on that night. He couldn't afford not to search for Pure Ones but he didn't want to get nothing out of a wagering duel either. He saw something in you that made him want you and with you being a (supposed) Pure One was a bonus.

When was it that he truly fell in love with you and wanted you more than anything in the world?

"_Hey, hey! (Name)! Look over there!" Feliciano pointed to the waters as you walked over to him with the now empty wash basin in your hand. Gilbert noticed that your expression was softer around Feliciano than with him. You didn't look angry or bored and it much different than what Gilbert had seen with you when you were alone with him. It actually looked like you were curious, no, that wasn't it… You were happy._

"_What are those things? Aren't they rocks?" You lean over to get a better look. Gilbert couldn't see what you were looking at as he was watching you from a distance and was unnoticed by the other members and by you._

"_Nope~ Giant leatherback turtles!" Feliciano exclaimed cheerfully._

"_Really? You don't say. I've never thought they'd be that big."_

"_Uh huh. There was a whole bunch of them back at my home and we'd see them swimming often. And when the baby turtles were ready to hatch, me and Lovi would go down to the beach and commentate on them like they were racing to the water. It was so much fun.~" Feliciano sighed happily._

"_Mm. Really? Back at my home, there wasn't much to see in the sea. We'd be lucky if we got anything different than the seagulls or the occasional king crab on the beach." You started walking to the kitchen's entrance, turning your head to see if Feliciano was following you._

"_Vee~ King crab would be nice for dinner. Maybe when we reach port- veeeee!" Feliciano screeched. You rushed to his side and asked what was wrong. Gilbert heard him wail that his hair curl got tangled in some rope. Gilbert was about to go down and help but he stopped when you beat him to it. He just continued to watch the two of you._

"_You goof." Gilbert thought there was a trace of a smile on your face but it was probably his imagination. "I'll just have this out in a-" You had his curl in both of your hands and were ready to pull it in half._

'_Bad idea, liebe, bad idea.' Feliciano inevitably cried again which you immediately let go. _

"_Please don't do that! It huuuuurts." Gilbert could see Feliciano's face turn red._

"_I'm sorry!" You say gently. "That one little piece… Weird… Feli, I need you to stand still." You loosened the tension on the rope as you brought the piece that was tangled to your eye level and had it out in a few seconds. _

"_G-grazie." Feliciano sniffed. You pecked him on the cheek and smiled at him. An actual smile-one that Gilbert hasn't seen before, out of anyone let alone you. It was so warm and gentle, it made his heart flutter._

"_Feel better?"_

"_Vee~!" Feliciano nodded as you giggled. _

Gilbert wanted to feel that warmth so much, he wanted to experience it once, even if it was another glimpse. It was so beautiful and it made you shine like the sun. But all he ever got was an atmosphere of loathing and hatred. He couldn't blame you. He took you from your sister. That much he understood as he harboured the same kind of hatred against Arthur. Other than that, he was confounded on why else you would hate him. But that hateful atmosphere did slowly die down since you said you would be allies with him.

Gilbert heard a knock on his door and barely shifted his head.

"_Who is it?_" He asked in German.

"_Bruder. It's me. You… want to talk_?"

"_Not really._"

"_Too bad. I'm coming in_." Ludwig picked the lock in a second and locked the door behind him once he came in.

"_Heh. You haven't changed a bit, have you West_?" Gilbert smirked. "_Beer? You're old enough now_. _I don't really want to think about the stuff Kirkland's been feeding you_."

"_Danke_." Ludwig said as he accepted a bottle of beer. "_You're_-"

"_Of course I'm upset about Feliciano! I'm doing everything I can to get him back!_"

"_That wasn't what I was going to say. You're upset about losing (Name)? I won't question about what that was about earlier but I am curious to what she is to you. You weren't really one for a committed relationship_."

"_I- She… Gott… How do I explain this? I find it very awkward that my little bruder giving me the talk I should have given him years ago_."

"_You already did. When I was 7._"

"_Oh right_!" Gilbert sniggered. "_Gooood times_."

"_Seriously bruder, what is she to you? Is she really worth giving up? I've seen her with you and although your relationship was kinda… bad in the beginning, I believe that she's good for you._"

"_Since when are you a mind reader_?" Gilbert glared skeptically at Ludwig.

"_I'm not. While I was in Feliciano's body, I could see everything around him along with what was happening to my body. I've observed enough to know there's something between the two of you_."

Xxxxxx

You stepped outside of the belfry and see what has become of Andros. Many places were burned to the ground with the occasional business buildings and fancy residencies still standing. You could see smoke coming from a couple of bonfire around the town and you could faintly make out people who looked like they were travellers. Your favourite fishing dock was still intact and the lighthouse in the distance was still standing, still giving off a ray of light for hope. Between the light house to the port was a long brick wall that was part of the town's border, the one that once protected it so boldly until it was blown to pieces in many places. To the North, you could faintly recognize your house with a few holes in the roof.

"I didn't know it was this bad." You say quietly.

"Mm. Many people couldn't bring themselves to come back. After their best defence systems failed and they failed to prevent this much damage, many people couldn't bring themselves back out of shame. The others were afraid to. There still are a few people here though. The hospital is still open and the post office. We still get messenger birds often. There is still hope that people will return and help rebuild this town to what it once was. So far, only a handful of people are willing to help." Katya said.

"Wow. Katya, I know you aren't a preacher anymore but I really need your advice." You proceeded to tell everything that has happened since that night, including the part where Gilbert raped you, and you hung your head. "I should hate his guts and wishes that he suffers the worst fate that Hell has to give him but I don't! I'm confused, I went against everything I was taught, and I'm not sure what to do!"

"You do love him, don't you?"

"Huh?"

Xxxxxx

"_Would you call me crazy if I told you 'Yes, honest to Gott, I do even though I have no right to?_'"

"_It's not impossible to feel like this. I'm not an expert on the subject but I don't condemn you for falling in love with her despite what has happened. So why do you love her?_"

Xxxxxx

"Well, he respects Tori for one thing. He knew she's my weakness, he could have threatened to torture her, do horrible things to her but he didn't. There is some actual kindness in him… That's a start, I guess."

Xxxxxx

"_She's… very headstrong and she's not afraid to stand up for herself. Although she can be a handful, she respects me in the very least_. _And she's pretty when she's not snappy, she's very independent and she really likes Feli_."

Xxxxxx

"He saved my life. We were dealing with mermaids and generally men die if they encounter them but he was so determined to save me. And I do admire some of his traits. He's intelligent, he's brave but he can be a pain too. … I don't know if that's enough to love him and besides, if my parents were still here, what would they say?" You sighed as you slouched over the railing.

"Well… That's a tough decision. I'm not sure myself what to say to that."

"Did you say you were unsure if you love someone?" Ivan and Katya's little sister, Natalia appeared out of nowhere which made you jump.

"Yeah… Pretty much. I just… I honestly want to know what it feels like to have someone who loves me, and I love him. But… I gave up trying to pursue any hope of that for Tori… I don't really have time for that. And everything I was taught… I don't know what to do."

"Idiot!" Natalia shrieked. "If you really love someone, you don't need anyone else's approval. It's your choice to listen to them but you don't honestly need it." Her voice became calmer as she took your hands. "Love really is a strange thing. It doesn't matter how it starts but if it exists and you want it to exist, there's nothing that says that it must be justified. And if you really love something, don't let go. No matter what. If he means that much to you, then fight for him! Fight for him to the death!"

"Alright. Thank you, Katya, Natalia. I… need some time to think. I'm gonna go back to my home for a bit."

"Do you want one of us to come with you?" Katya stepped forward.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I'll be taking the string bean dingbat pirate with me. He got me into this mess, I need him to get me out." You smiled as you started walking away. When you got into the church, you saw that pirate against the wall and Ivan towering over him and they looked like they were having a very awkward conversation. (Or at least awkward from the pirate's point of view. He looked like he was absolutely going to pee his pants which made you chuckle.) "Ivan. Can I take him away for a while?"

"Da. He's all yours. He's quite interesting if you ask me." Ivan smiled.

The pirate raised his arms defence as if he thought you were going to punch him again.

"I'm only going to hurt you if you don't come along." You glared at him lightly. He swallowed hard and nodded.

Xxxxx

"_West, I really don't know what to do. I really do love her, I'm sure of it, but I-"_

"_Well, moping won't get you anywhere. First thing you do is apologize to her. Normally you need some space to clear your head, been there, done that. Now just an apology is needed. You can't just say 'I'm sorry' and you can't just force everything down her throat. Start with what you're most sorry for, give her a chance to speak… I don't know what else to say except that grovelling is probably required."_

"_Since when were you- oh right. You were attached to Feli." _

"_Even at this point, I can't say I fully understand him but that's what he would do."_

"_What if she won't listen? Hell- How do I know if Arthur hasn't already killed her?"_

"_That's what I came here to tell you in the first place, bruder."_ Gilbert looked at his brother, preparing for the worst news.

"I just spoke with Lovino. He was able to establish a spiritual connection to Feliciano. What he could tell, Feliciano and (Name)'s sister, Victoria are alright. However, (Name) is not on Arthur's ship. And Arthur knows that (Name) is not here."

"W-what? How?"

"That connection isn't very secure. With Arthur's magic, he can eavesdrop what goes on between Feliciano and Lovino. But he doesn't know where she is though, which leaves him with as much information as us."

"If Kirkland doesn't have her, that leave countless possibilities where she could've ended up. Wait… That pipsqueak we captured… When he was around us on the island, he mentioned something about a Homing Stone…" Gilbert shot up and ran out of his cabin to find Lovino.

Antonio said that he was in his hammock in the crew's quarters. Gilbert found him on the only hammock that was on a third layer, very close to the ceiling, in the crew's quarters.

"Lovi! Get down here!" Lovino poked his head over the edge and glared at Gilbert. His hair was very unruly and messy only adding on to his frightening appearance.

"Any reason why this can't wait until morning, bastardo?" He growled.

"Do you know what a Homing Stone is? That's what was glowing when (Name) disappeared."

"It takes the holder home. How hard is that to understand? Is that all? I'm exhausted and can't-" Lovino instantly fell back asleep and started snoring loudly when he got his head back in the hammock.

'(Name)'s home… Where I first found her? No… Wait, that blacksmith boy… He'll know.'

Xxxxxx

You walked in the main foyer of your house. Things were thrown all over the place, the skeleton of your beloved Labrador Spot lay in front of the closet with a pool of dried blood around his skull. The glass of the chandelier was scattered all around the floor with the chandelier frame in the middle of everything and it was stripped of what jewels it had.

The lightly dusted grey walls had silhouettes of mirrors and portraits that once proudly hung. You walked over to a stand with a drawer that had a rusted locket like case. You pried it open and your eyes started to water at the sight. They were a portrait of your parents staring so proudly at you with your father on the left side in a fine marine uniform and your mother on the right in one of her finest ballroom attire. There was a matching locket like this only with yours and Victoria's baby photos. You had it upstairs in your room.

"So… why'd you want to come here?" Alfred asked as he followed a few paces behind you.

"I'm already back here, I might as well see what's left to save, if anything." You say quietly as you walked down the hall into the piano room. The piano you had was smashed and several bits of cement and stone littered the floor.

"This is where she died. This is where I saw Arthur murder my mother while me and my sister were running for our lives." You pointed to the center of the room, fighting back your tears.

"I-I… I'm really sorry."

"You're not guilty of this crime. Ask me whether or not I'll forgive him." Your voice was dangerous as if you dared him too.

"Please don't kill him, I swear… It wasn't his fault." You scoffed.

"Was it my mother's fault that hundreds of people lost their lives? Did she do anything to deserve this fate? No! Was she shown any mercy? No! And neither does he." You growled dangerously. "If he's 'possessed' then whoever is possessing him has to be shown to me otherwise, I'm his executioner." You stormed away with him cautiously following you upstairs.

You went into Victoria's room first, it was the only room that was in decent shape so far. Hardly anything was damaged although her drawers have been emptied. On her chest at the foot of her bed, there was a china doll with blonde hair, blue grey eyes and was wearing one of the most beautiful wedding gowns the world had to offer. Victoria wanted this to be her wedding dress when she was older. It was a miracle that it wasn't taken. If you were going back to Stenies, you would take it but you couldn't carry it. But you had a place to keep it safe for now.

You heard a chirp on the windowsill to find a small yellow chick that looked a little injured. You went over to it and held out your hand.

"Hey, little guy. It's okay, I won't hurt you." You coaxed. "You want to come with me? I'll fix you up and find you something to eat." It was hesitant for a few moments then hopped into your hand and you lifted him onto your shoulder. "Heh, you're pretty cute. Just hang tight and I'll get you something to eat, alright?" It chirped happily, nuzzling your chin which made you smile. Normally you wouldn't do something like this but there was something about this chick that made you want to take him in.

You went to your room and it was also scarcely touched. Your drawers and closet were also empty, your bookshelf was trashed and pages were everywhere, spreading across the dark wooden floor. You moved your personal chest away from the foot of your bed and lift the large floor board underneath to reveal a large lightly coloured wooden box. You unclip the lock to reveal the contents of your treasures, good as new.

You took out the matching locket with yours and Victoria's baby portrait and put it in your pocket. Your fingers went back to the box and brush against something silver. You pull it out and it was a silver cross pendant with a grey cross that filled the center.

"What's that? Something from your boyfriend?" Alfred smirked.

"No, it was from a boy who saved me when I was little. I think he dropped it or something and I wasn't able to give it back to him so I kept it. It's like… He was my guardian angel or something. I was hoping it survived the raid." You say softly. You pull your hair back as you tie it securely around your neck and the pendant rested on your collarbone. You place the doll diagonally back in the box and move everything back to where it was. "With that out of the way… We need to talk on how I'm going to find Gilbert again. If you help me, we're even, I'll hold nothing else against you."

Xxxxxx

"Ah! Ve… Vee… Vee…" Feliciano panted as he received yet another smack from Arthur.

"I'll ask again, runt: Where is (Name)?"

"I-I don't know! Lo-Lovi could've sent her somewhere safe!"

"What do I look like, a bumbling fool? I know that she was sent away by accident. Otherwise, why would your brother make sure whether or not she was here? Secondly, I know that Alfred's Homing Stone was activated but he isn't here and therefore, she's not here. Where is her home?"

"I don't know!" Feliciano kept a solid unreadable face and lightly glared at Arthur. "I wasn't part of the raid of her home."

"Oh come now, you are friends aren't you? She must've told you something."

"No." Feliciano heard another crack echo in the room and a harsh slap was struck against his numb cheek. His eyes watered as an automatic reaction and he knew it was going to hurt like hell later.

"Hmm… Beilschmidt trained you well, Macaroni runt. What to do with you… I was hoping I could save this for her but in this case, I think the situation calls for use on you. After all, I did lose my servant because of you." Arthur pulled out the pendant that he received from (Name) now glowing a deep poisonous green from the gem. Feliciano's eyes widened in terror as he tried to struggle and move away. Arthur waved his hand and shadow chains burst from the wall, wrapping around his body and immobilizing him.

Arthur secured the pendant around his neck and Feliciano's amber eyes were dull and unfocused as he stared blankly ahead.

"Now then… Where is (Name)?" Feliciano was cringing as he was squirming, willing every cell of his body not to say anything. Arthur's powers were forcing his reply free.

"A-Andros. She considers that her real home." He said slowly. Arthur's wicked grin grew.

"Ah yes, I know now. Going back to where it all started, eh? How fitting but it's quite troublesome considering I haven't been able to go anywhere near there because of that woman. Mariana!" He barked and a petite woman with midnight black hair and dark eyes appeared in the doorway.

"Apparently we need to go hunting for a little rabbit. Since she's safe in her little hole, she needs to be lured out. I wonder… what she would do if dear Gilly was captured by the navy and sentenced to be hanged?"

"I understand. I shall not fail you." She bowed as she disappeared into thin air.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] Think of pronouncing 'Canadia'<strong>  
><strong>[2] I'm so mean to Alfred XD Although he should know what Canada feels like now<strong>  
><strong>[3] Pun intended. <strong>

**This is more of a mushy chapter than anything. A little bit of plot in the end but it's more of a realization thing... **

**I officially gave your hometown a proper name which is Andros. It's on an island in Greece so you grew up in Greece but you don't necessarily have to be Greek and the town you've been living in for the past 3 years is called Stenies. I've edited previous chapters so that it uses those names when they're being referred to properly. **

**I'm so mean to Alfred. T^T and I regret it just like I regret making Arthur a douche... Actually I regret making any of the Hetalia characters bigger douchebags than they are. And I also regret hurting them**

**Thank you everyone for your patience and I'll try to get up the next one as soon as I can!**

**Any kind of feedback is appreciated :)**


	10. Chapter 10

*Mariana belongs to kemonekko123 on Deviantart

It felt extremely weird waking up next to nothing. No warmth beside you, nothing wrapped around you and you were not curled against someone, and no familiar scents to welcome you to the morning. The only thing that welcomed the morning was that little chick you took in. He sang so beautifully as he hopped on your head.

Right now could see Victoria curled snugly in your arms against your chest but you couldn't touch her. You raise your hand to embrace her but your hand goes through her shoulder. The sight of her and the warmth in your chest was enough proof that she was here. It hurts so much that she was this close to you but you couldn't touch her.

You sat up in your cot to observe your surroundings. Once you left your house, Ivan and his sisters set up some cots in the Andros' town hall's basement. You certainly were not of the dry stuffy atmosphere this place had but it was safe. Despite you had an enemy pirate sleeping in the cot next to you, it was safe.

You had decided that you should leave immediately to find a way back to Gilbert if you had any hope of escaping Arthur for the time being. It would be smarter to find a place then somehow send a message to him so you could meet halfway.

Ivan, Natalia and Katya had gathered you enough supplies to make it to Port Valour on the Southside of the island. Stenies had a port but if no one was willing to help Victoria get out, what chance would there be of you getting help?

Your plan was to see if there would be a crew willing to take you to Thebes. Worst case scenario, see what boats were available, get more food and supplies and sail by yourselves from there. Alfred was sailing savvy and could navigate. You made a deal with Alfred that if he helped you find Gilbert, Alfred would be protected by you from Gilbert and his crew.

You got up and fixed your clothes and hair within two minutes and had a hard time getting Alfred to wake up. You tried every trick you knew to get him up nicely and he was snoring like a foghorn. You facepalmed yourself as you sighed feeling extremely frustrated. You were about to flip the cot over when Victoria stopped you.

"Wait, big sister." She put her hand on your arm and met your eyes. "If I remember correctly, you have to say that there's hamburgers."

"Ok... It's worth a shot." You took a deep breath and half sang "There's hamburgers for breakfast." And Alfred shot up immediately.

"Burgers? Where?" He whipped his head back and forth. "Aw, there's no food. Going back to sleep."

"Oh no, you're not."

Before you departed, you went to the falconry where messenger birds were kept. They were very intelligent and well trained. All you had to do for them to find someone was to tell them a name, that is, if you've used them before.

Katya explained that you needed something from the person they are going to, be it an object or some sort of scent or marking so they can track them down from anywhere.

'If_ you're still in, then I'm still in. I said I'm your ally, right? I'm coming to find you. I'm heading to Thebes. Please write so that I know-_' You scratched out the last part of the sentence. Only so much could be said in your letter.

Before you gave your note to a falcon, you searched what little belongings you had and nothing was from Gilbert much to your frustration. You got an idea and loosened your collar so that your collarbone and right shoulder were exposed. You found a faded pink bite mark on the base of your neck. It wasn't much but with any luck, this will work.

You made sure the little chick was safe in your ponytail, it made a little hammock above your tie, so that that falcon would not go after it.

You motioned a falcon to come to your arm, which it did, and raised it so that it could see the bite mark. It brushed its beak against you as you kept very still so it wouldn't bite you. You felt it shift to your necklace and before you could shift it back to the bite mark, the falcon snatched the letter from your hand and looked like it was ready to fly and was looking at you kind of funny.

"It wants to know where you want him to go." Alfred said. "I have a pet eagle myself and I tell him where my recipient should be and he'll pick up the trail from that area."

"Oh. Really? Um... North of Egypt. Start looking around Cyprus and Egypt and if you can't find the trail there, fly to Thebes by following the coast of Africa. You got that?" The bird nodded as it flew off. 'Wow, they are intelligent.'

Ivan, Katya and Natalia walked with you to the road that would lead to Port Valour. It would be approximately three days on foot but it would be less than one if they took a horse or cart but there wouldn't really be any way to return them. And if they did take a cart, what about the person who was driving it? There might be bandits on the way there or back. You still had your sword and you had fast feet so you could get out of that situation if it occurred. If you move quickly, you could make it there in a day and a half.

"So, please be careful (Name). I would very much like it if you came back to visit Andros again. You can't do that if you are injured, da?"

"I will. You take care of yourselves and each other too." You smiled. Ivan turned to Alfred and smiled at him but you couldn't help but shudder and feel afraid for Alfred.

"You keep (Name) safe, da? She's protecting you, little pirate, by not turning you in and negotiating your safety. I suggest you do the same otherwise…"

"I got it! A hero always honours his debts!"

"Remember what I told you! Fight for the one you love to the death! Find him, apologize and don't let go of him! No matter what!" Natalia said. "And have a safe trip.~"

"Thanks Natalia." You say.

Katya gave you a blanket that was rolled up and had a band around it to keep it together.

"Being on the sea can get cold so make sure you stay warm and healthy so you can live and fight another day. Oh, and Happy Birthday (Name)." Katya smiled. "It's (Birthday) today right? Make sure you make a wish tonight before you go to sleep.~"

"Oh, it's your birthday?" Alfred turned his head to you. "Happy Birthday!" He smiled. This was EXTREMELY awkward to have him say that but you say thank you politely. "So how old are you now?"

"Twenty. I completely forgot about it with everything that's happened." You say. "I don't really feel like celebrating though."

"Well, you have to make next year extra special because you're officially an adult in all countries. Or at least in America." Alfred grinned.

"Well, be careful you two! We'll pray extra hard for you to give you strength!" Katya smiled.

"I have one last thing for you, (Name)." Natalia said. "All this time I've been telling you to find him without telling you how you'll find him." Natalia gave you a circular palm sized object that you could feel moving around in a circle. You open the silver lid and it was a compass with a large golden arrow that was spinning around and around. Under the glass, there were three brightly coloured threads that were dancing and gliding under the glass in the opposite direction of the arrow.

"What is it?" You look at her.

"It's a compass supposed to lead you to what you yearn for the most. I got it from one of brother's friends who found it somewhere. The threads represent your desires and can lead you to them. The closer they are, the threads will become thicker and will intertwine. But beware, if you use it for any selfish purposes that only harms others, it will end your life. It doesn't tolerate people with any form of a wicked desire. Those threads can either lead you to salvation or they will severe your soul."

Xxxxx

To your surprise, Alfred was keeping up very well and helped you when you needed it without complaint. In fact, he was more than eager to help. Other than the fact that he was allied with Arthur, he was a nice guy and very friendly. Although you never let your guard down around him and you tried not to talk or spend unnecessary time with him because you still were mad that he handed your sister over to Arthur. However, he appeared to be willing to help get her back and Victoria was fond of him so you were less bitter to him.

You set up camp for the night next to the road. You were still in the woods which gave you elements to use to build a shelter and fire for the night. However, you knew that there could be some bandits at any time so you agreed to take turns sleeping but neither of you were that tired. You were driven by adrenaline and anxiety over many things. Whether or not the falcon would find Gilbert, nervousness about using the compass because of your desire for revenge against Arthur, and whether Feliciano was safe. So many things were on your mind and you couldn't bring yourself to fall asleep.

You took the cross around your neck in your hand and your brow furrowed as you were thinking. You've seen this cross before but you couldn't think of where. You haven't really paid attention to much detail about jewelry as it didn't really interest you. You gently ran your finger across the cold smooth metal, trying to recall where you've seen this cross before. …Where you've felt this cross before.

You close your eyes as you try to remember. The metal was warm against your chest. The sparkling silver was the last thing you saw before you fell asleep. A voice whispered in your ear. 'Ich liebe dich…'

"Gilbert…?" You whispered as you realized that Gilbert always wore a silver cross. You didn't remember the details exactly but you thought that perhaps it was similar to this one.

Ich liebe dich… What did that mean? Thinking about it slipped from your mind until now and you try to think of Gilbert's hint.

"Hmm? You say something?" Alfred asks as he drinks the soup that's in his thermos.

"No. Just talking to myself." You smiled nervously. "Helps me stay on track."

"Oh. Okay. At least you're not talking to 'imaginary fairy friends'." Alfred snorted. "I'd always catch Arthur having a lively conversation with his 'fairies' when there's clearly nothing there!"

Before you could say anything against Arthur, you see Victoria appear out of nowhere and you bite your tongue to prevent yourself from bad mouthing in front of her.

"I saw them." You turn your head to her and she smiled. "They're cute."

"Huh. I want to say that 'I don't believe in that kind of stuff' but after what I've been through and what I've seen, I'd say anything's possible. With the mermaids, the Seal's guardians, and magic, anything is possible."

"You saw mermaids?" Victoria asked excitedly. "Were they pretty?"

"Well… I didn't really get a good look at them but one of them came with us and yes, I find her pretty."

"Hey, I thought you said you didn't believe in fairies!" Alfred pointed at you.

"I don't. Victoria's here." Alfred started to pale a bit and he looked extremely guilty.

"She…-she is? You sure?" You put your hand where her head is and smile. "How-how do you know that's really Victoria?" That question really irked you. You knew her better than anyone and you don't generally lie unless it was to get out of trouble. You pause as she whispered something in your ear. You thought it was kind of pointless because you're the only one who can see or hear her but you went along with the gesture.

"Your favourite food is hamburgers and you have a weird friend named Tony."

"It really is Victoria!" Alfred grinned. "She met Tony when he came to visit us!" But his grin soon faded and he hung his head. "God… Victoria, I'm so sorry. If I got there sooner. I said I'd protect you but… I swear, I didn't think that Arthur would actually do that."

You turn to her as you patiently waited for her reply. You could see that she wasn't angry or upset with Alfred as anyone would be. She was quite forgiving. Once she was done, you turned your head back to Alfred and gave him her reply.

"She isn't angry at you, it's not your fault. She ran off because she heard me scream then got lost. But when Arthur found her, she couldn't get away in time. And she says that she knows that wasn't Arthur when he attacked her." You frowned slightly. "But I still don't believe that he's possessed or whatever. Magical creatures and powers are one thing but invisible demons are just absurd."

"Hey, you said it yourself, anything's possible after what you've encountered." Alfred said.

"And you said that you don't believe those kind of things either. You said that you saw Arthur talking to his fairy friends when there was nothing there." You shot back. "There's no-"

"His eyes." Alfred stopped you. "If the demon has dominance, they're gold. I've known Arthur for years and his eyes have always been green."

"But how do I know that they actually aren't gold to begin with? He has powers. He could've been changing them from gold to green to begin with." Alfred groaned in frustration.

"I'll prove it to you that he's possessed!" He shot up.

"If you can, he has my pardon." You say.

"Fine… I gotta go take a leak."

"Didn't need to know that." You say after facepalming yourself. After nearly two months of being on board with a bunch of men, you'd think you'd be used to bad manners by now. But you've got 19-now 20 years of being raised with manners that easily trump living a life with no etiquette.

"Big sister… Are you… going to kill Arthur?" Victoria asked you cautiously.

"Well… I… Uh… You-… You know what he did to our parents and Andros. And if he isn't stopped, he will kill more people and keep coming after you. I won't let him."

"But he-"

"Tori, don't bring this up again." You raise your voice. "If there's proof that Arthur was put up to it, I won't, but there's no proof! Tori, I know that you don't want others to get hurt but this is life. It doesn't work that way. I'm doing everything I can so you won't have to be dragged into the horrors that may be in store and that means if I have to kill someone to keep you safe then I will."

"That's not what Mama and Papa would want." She placed her hand on yours. "I know you, (Name). You don't act on hate and revenge. And I don't want you to start now." She disappeared before either of you could say more.

"Tori…" You sighed.

"Maaaaan, that felt GOOD." Alfred said loudly as he was coming back.

"Someone who prefers some form of decency within earshot." What Victoria had said to you deeply disturbed you and you felt hurt. Was she angry with you? Does she hate you for wanting revenge against Arthur?

How were you supposed to feel? It was very unsettling and it was tearing you up inside. You needed some time to think this over.

The rest of the trip to Port Valour was mostly a silent one. Alfred asked you a few times what the matter was and you said 'nothing'. You were lucky to find someone who was willing to take you to Thebes so quickly. Although they were reluctant to have a woman aboard, you managed to persuade them to take you. And by persuading, you said that the entire world was depending on them and they fell for it. However, you had to take a detour to Thebes by means of stopping at Crete.

A storm was heading to the Northern Mediterranean from the South East. It was predicted that you would have enough time to reach Crete. After you set sail, the captain showed you a map of the Mediterranean and where the currents were so that you would have a better understanding on how long it takes to sail. If ships sailed with the currents and the winds, the time spent travelling would be doubled or tripled and if they were travelling against the currents, it would take longer.

You asked how long it would take if you were travelling from Egypt to Thebes and the captain told you that it takes about a month both ways, if conditions were good, but it is faster travelling to Thebes because of the currents which usually takes three weeks the earliest. And with that storm, the speed would tremendously be accelerated if the ship was strong enough. If you did your calculations correctly and if that storm doesn't last too long, you should be able to meet up with Gilbert about the same time, or he should be in Thebes before you.

You found it extremely boring and you renew your mental complaint about travelling. It was too quiet, there was nothing to do, the crew wouldn't allow you to do anything so all that was left was to sit and think. And talk to Alfred.

One of the first things that entered your mind was Natalia's warning about the compass that she gave you and what Victoria said to you. Was your hate really starting to go out of control? It was a normal emotion and it was perfectly fine to have it. It's if you control it or if it controls you that's the issue. You were afraid to even open the compass in fear that your hate was actually going out of control and you would only use the compass for revenge.

You put your legs through the railing bars and stared down at the rushing waters like a child. You watched your faint reflection zoom along below you. Where to start? Your mind was nannering on and on with thousands of complicated questions and even more complicated answers. You thought that you should start with a simple basic question:

'Why do you feel hatred towards Arthur?'

Because he's a pirate.

'What defines a pirate? Gilbert is also a pirate and you love him, don't you?'

…

'How do you define a pirate?'

Pirates murder people without reason. They take anything they want with little to no regard for others. Their ultimate goal is treasure. They are not to be trusted. That's what I was taught.

'_But they're good men also. Honest._' Feliciano's voice rang in the back of your mind.

'_We may have clashed blades with Arthur often but we were all honourable pirates. We respect limits and do everything we can to stay within them._' Antonio's jovial voice joined in.

'_I never thought it would be anything like this. But seeing them act like people at my home... Helping one another, turning up a few drinks, and talking about their families..._' Your own voice echoed gently as well.

'Just like normal people. Not all pirates are monsters. The ones that are give pirates a bad reputation and many people believe that they're all bad. That's not true, is it?'

'_Ich liebe dich_…'

Hmm… German is similar to English in some ways. It means the same thing in English and it has the same number of words, all very little but they mean something really big. … Three little words that mean something very big… Liebe… He calls me Liebe… it's used in the middle of that phrase… Mean the same thing… Life? No… What… Love? … Love! Ich liebe dich… I love you.

Your face instantly turns red and your heart can't decide whether to stop beating entirely or beat like it never beated before.

'He loves me. He really does love me…' You put your hand on your chest as you stare out to the horizon which was starting to turn a bright orange.

'Real monsters don't have the heart to love another. Is he a monster?'

No. He's not. And neither are the crew members. Well, at least the ones I met. Can't judge those I haven't.

'And what about Arthur? He has someone who does care for him.'

Innocent until proven guilty. That's what I've also been taught. I will fight for Victoria and Feliciano. I will fight to be with Gilbert. I won't let anything stop me from my goals but I will not strike down anyone more than necessary without cause and proof. You smiled as you stood up as you went to find Alfred who was also roaming around the ship because he was restless.

"Hey, Alfred."

"Mm? What's up?" He had a sandwich stuffed in his mouth.

"I wanted to apologize for punching you back then. We weren't fighting anymore and you were unarmed so… I'm sorry."

"Hey, no worries. We're cool?"

"I'd say so." Alfred showed his fist to you and you were unsure of what he was doing.

"You're supposed to bump it. Here, curl up your fist like mine and hold still." You did so and he tapped his knuckles gently against yours.

Xxxxxx

Within a few days, dark clouds started to build up in the distance and that storm was approaching quickly. Luckily the port was only a few miles away so all you had to do was sit and endure it. And keep a low profile might help too from Arthur's minions, if he has any lurking, and pirate hunters.

You kept watching the sky for that falcon with Gilbert's reply everyday with your hopes always getting high then disappointment usually follows. When you were absolutely alone, you tried to communicate with Victoria again. However, much to your dismay, she hasn't come to see you and when she does, she's only there for literally a few seconds which makes you think that something might be wrong. She would be willing to listen to your apology and wouldn't run away if you had something important to say. You saw her eyes when you connected for that one small moment and you could see that she was afraid which deeply disturbed you.

There was a loud cry in the sky as you were arriving in the port. You scanned the sky and you spotted that falcon far above you and it dove towards the ship with tremendous speed. It landed on the railing with a large envelope in his mouth and squawked at you. You ran over to it eagerly and took the letter from it quickly.

'(Name), _glad to know that you're alright. (I'm assuming since you can write you are.) I have half a mind to say stay in Thebes for your sake,' _

'Not going to happen.'

'_But I can probably hear you protesting as you read this and would stowaway anyways if I said no. While you're waiting, see if you can get some recruits. We lost a few men at the Seal. We have enough to face Arthur but it doesn't hurt to have a few more hands, ja? I'll see you soon. Until then, stay safe._

_-Gilbert'_

There was something scratched out at the bottom several times but there was one clear sentence.

'_P.S. I'm really sorry for snapping at you like that. I should've known better since you lost your sister along with Feliciano. We'll get them back. I promise.'_

The other words were attempted apologies and one section and one of them that was scratched out you could barely make out. 'Ich liebe dich…' You felt yourself blush as you brought the letter to your face.

Once you arrived at the port, the rain pounded hard on you and a few hailstones the size of peas were dropping as well. You and Alfred ran to the nearest inn and you had to split a room to save money. There were two single beds and you found a spare sheet to hang in between you two to have some privacy.

You started to engage Alfred into a conversation to help pass the time through the storm. You were still uneasy during storms and needed something to keep your mind occupied until you fall asleep. Soon Alfred fell asleep leaving you alone with the little chick curled up against you.

The little chick you picked up seemed to be making a good recovery. And with the leftovers that you fed him, he looks much better too. When you removed his improvised bandage for his wing a few days ago, you were kind of expecting that he would fly away at the first chance of freedom as any animal would. Not that you wanted him to but still, that's what any wild animal would do, most likely. But surprisingly, he stayed with you. He flies right beside you or makes himself comfortable on your head singing happily while riding.

"Y'know, I think I should give you a name…" It chirped and jumped in joy in response.

"How about… Goldy?" It shook it's head and sounded like it didn't like it.

"Okay… Junior?" It shook his head again. "Man. I hope naming my kids isn't this hard."

"Why not name it after something you love, like Burger?" Alfred apparently was still awake.

"I don't think it'd be a good idea to name him after food." 'I wonder...' You gave it some thought for a minute and made your decision. "What about Gilbird?" It chirped excitedly in response.

"Gilbird?" Alfred asked.

"Yeah. After Gilbert. Just changed two letters, I think it's cute."

"Why name it after Beilschmidt?"

"You're the one who said that I should name him after something I love."

"Yeah. And why did you name it after Beilschmidt?"

"… Because I love him."

Xxxxx

The week went by painfully slow. Although the worst of the storm was over within two days, the winds and the rain were fierce for the rest of the week. You followed Gilbert's request and tried to seek out more recruits for the crew. You only walked around town where possible candidates would gather the most, in this case, the taverns and carefully scanned each person that looked the least bit useful. You would strike up a conversation with some drunk occasionally and casually ask if they were interested in sailing. From what you understood, most of them were lazy bums or gave you slurred answers and it was a waste of your time.

You had to be careful also. This place was covered with naval soldiers who were keeping a close eye on you and Alfred. You didn't want to be labelled as a pirate and have the whole port in an uproar and possibly fleeing for your lives which would complicate everything even more. On the eighth day that you were in the port, the storm finally cleared and your ship was almost ready to leave.

While the cargo was being loaded, you were hanging around the docks just to admire your surroundings with Alfred. You pulled out your compass and decided to open it for the first time. You focused on where Thebes was and when you opened it, the arrow pointed to your Northeast and the threads combined into one thin thread pointing in the same direction meaning that it was far away. You didn't have an actual compass so you didn't know which way was North. You look up to the direction it pointed and sighed. It was going to be another long journey.

You closed your eyes and focused on Gilbert. To your surprise, the threads were not pointing in the same direction as Thebes. The threads intertwined into a thick braid and pointed behind you along with the arrow. Was he actually here? Your heart raced with excitement.

"Alfred, c'mon!" You grabbed Alfred excitedly as you followed the arrow deeper into the town.

"Whoa whoa whoa! What's going on? Y'know if we don't follow those guys to Thebes, we have to spend a few days looking for people that will take us."

"Gilbert's here! I'm sure of it!"

"You serious?"

"If I wasn't I wouldn't be dragging you around." As you went deeper into the town, you noticed that it was more crowded than usual and there were more soldiers everywhere. You didn't hide yourselves because you thought that if you did, they'd know that you were hiding something and would come after you. With this many people, it was easy to blend in anyway.

However, the whispers and the white noise that was buzzing around made you extremely uneasy. The looks of excitement on people's faces made you get chills that made your heart stop. The one thing you could understand was that someone was going to be hanged. A pirate. And it froze your heart into stone. You scanned the area and there was no sign of Gilbert much to your relief. But you still were worried for him.

"Gilbird. Can you see if you can spot a guy with white hair and dark blue jacket and hat? He has a rose on his hat." Gilbird chirped in response and flew above your head moving back and forth to get a better view. He started chirping wildly and you try to follow his line of sight and you saw Gilbert struggling against the guards that had his hands tied.

"C'mon, Specs! Let me out of here! You can't do this to me!" Gilbert was shouting at a guard who was pushing him. He had dark brown hair with an odd curl, wore glasses and everything about him screamed 'extravagant'.

"It's business. I have nothing against you so don't take this personally." He replied calmly. "I can only hope that you have what it takes to last the trial."

"If you've got nothing against me, LET ME GO!"

"Gilbert!" You shouted his name through the crowd trying to make your way through. "Gilbert!"

"(Name)? (Name)!" You could see that he was happy to see you. "Keep going to Thebes! The others are-!" Soldiers led him through the stone arch.

"Go around back for the viewing area of the hanging!" You and Alfred were the first ones out of the crowd and made your way to the viewing area of the courtyard. You quickly agreed to split up and improvise to get Gilbert out of there. You would have to persuade the guards and if that didn't work, you would use force. You still had the Homing Stone so you just had to give it to Gilbert and hang on to him.

As you were making your way through the crowd, you got chills all over your body. You couldn't imagine how many people were sentenced to die and hung here. Pirate or otherwise, it felt wrong.

Soon other people began to flood in. The masked executioner and a high ranking officer came up to meet him in the middle of the courtyard. He wore an olive green military uniform and wore a traditional white wig under a marine hat.

"Well well. Gilbert Beilschmidt." He said coldly.

"Apparently you've heard of my awesomeness." Gilbert smirked cockily.

"Apparently not but I do have a list of your crimes." The guard held out a scroll.

"Let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain other than you're a filthy pirate." The guard said coldly as he walked up the gallows steps with Gilbert struggling against the brown haired guard. It made your chest hurt so much watching him walk up. You finally made it to the front of the crowd and stop them from going any further having all eyes on you.

"No, wait! Don't do this! He didn't do anything to deserve this!" You were stopped at the bottom of the stairs by two guards who crossed their guns forbidding you to pass. Gilbert was only inches away from the noose and the executioner had it in his hand ready to place it around his neck.

"And who are you?" The guard raised an eyebrow at you.

"(Full Name)."

"(Last Name)? Why does that ring a bell? Ah yes, he's the one who kidnapped you isn't he?" The guard unrolled the scroll and smirked coldly at Gilbert.

"You can get rid of that charge. I went with him willingly." That was no lie. But you had to choose your words more carefully than ever because yours and Gilbert's lives depend on it.

"She's a pirate too! Get her!" You flinched when someone shouted that but you stopped them.

"No, wait! I went with him because he needed my help." Mostly true. "Whatever was threatening him was also threatening everything I hold dear. So I thought that two heads were better than one so I agreed to help him. And he saved my life." Dead on.

"So you're admitting to be his accomplice?" The officer said coldly.

"Depends on what you mean. I only helped him- I AM helping him hunt down what threatens us. I can assure you we don't want to and we are not hurting anyone who isn't part of our business."

"And what, pray tell, are you hunting down?" Okay, that might a little tricky. You recall to an occult book that you read on Gilbert's ship once and you decide that what you're about to do would work. And when people are afraid, they'll believe anything.

"I'm a Soothsayer. I have premonitions and… communicate with beings that are not of this world. I have sensed presence of several demons. There is someone trying to unleash demons upon the world. And he," You point to Gilbert. "Is the key to stopping them."

"Charming story. But I've got a pirate to send to Hell."

"And send the entire human race to Hell as well?" You ask coolly. You were careful not to raise your voice and act as mature as you can because you knew that when it came to pirates, the system was corrupt.

"I swear before almighty God that I show you no lies." You find yourself walking up the gallows to the platform and no one was stopping you. "This threat is real and if you take out the only chance you have of surviving, you have sealed your own doom." There were some murmurs of worry and agreement and some nods directed at you. You were starting to win them over.

"But he's a pirate." The guard scoffed and grabbed Gilbert's hair, tilted his head back and made him face the crowd by walking him to the edge of the platform. The crowd gasped and the murmurs were sounding more terrified. "He's the cause of the demons themselves! Look at him! A devil's spawn just like all pirates. They want nothing more than treasure and bloodshed! They murder and take other lives and countless other horrors that they've committed. Besides, saving a person's life isn't enough to counter all of the sins that this pirate has committed, wouldn't you agree?"

"Pirates." You chuckled coldly as you walked slowly toward the guard only to be stopped by the masked executioner's arm. You noticed that your right foot was on the trapdoor and the executioner was much stronger than you. One wrong move and he could put you in the noose. Just hope your fast feet were ready for anything.

"Just a fancy definition the justice system made that ruins the actual meaning. Only a few people did those horrible things and you condemn every person who has the courage to be different. Although, you are right about only one thing: Pirates do mainly care about treasure. But not everything is silver and gold." You turn to Gilbert then to the crowd to address them. People stopped murmuring and listened closely waiting for you to continue. "Treasure isn't defined only by the things you possess. Treasure is what you love the most-who you love the most. It's not only pirates that will stop at nothing to protect their treasure, it's every single human being here. And the threat that exists will take everything you love. Everything you treasure. Gilbert is the only person who can get rid of this threat. You hang him, you hang yourselves." There were several murmurs of agreement and people were starting to say let Gilbert go which made your confidence soar.

"Lovely speech. Too bad, I'm still going to hang him." Half of the crowd's voices gasped while the others cheered. The guard's voice changes to a woman's voice. You flinch because you were not expecting that. You were in between the guard and the noose and you couldn't let him (or her) hang Gilbert. "Unless you're willing to trade?~ You come with me and I won't hang him."

"How about no?" You drew your sword and the executioner picked up a heavy axe behind you. The crowd started to scream and the other guards pushed them back. You could see Alfred in the back and he screamed "PIRATES IN THE PORT!"

The crowd became startled and when he quickly moved to different spots and screamed it in different voices during the confusion which ignited panic among the crowd and every civilian left the courtyard along with a few guards to calm the crowd and find the non-existent pirates. Alfred moved out of the way so he wouldn't get run over by the stampede but once it was gone, he drew his own sword and started to move towards you but got caught up dueling with some naval officers that were still hanging around.

Gilbert used his awesome techniques to undo his binds within milliseconds and grabbed his sword from the guard. After he got his sword, Gilbert pushed the guard off the platform so that he wouldn't interfere then helped you with the executioner who swung the axe at you and Gilbert. The executioner swung the axe from above which you and Gilbert blocked. Even with Gilbert helping you, the force of the axe was incredible making your knees buckle slightly. You both attack the executioner together from above and below. He blocked your attack from below and Gilbert was able to remove a plate from his shoulder.

Gilbert started screaming in pain and fell to his knees and you blocked the executioner's attack making your own knees buckle. You had to use both of your hands to block his attack and hang on to your sword because the force was so strong.

"Gilbert, what's wrong?"

"I-I don't know. It feels like- AAH!" He arched his back in pain. "Like I'm being stabbed!"

Alfred noticed Gilbert screaming in pain from an invisible force and knocked out the guards that he was fighting before scanning the area carefully. He knew this technique and who was behind it. Gilbert was being voodooed and he knew of only one person who was capable of voodoo magic. He scanned the walls of the courtyard and sure enough, there she was by the flagpole with her eyes on Gilbert and stabbing a little figure with a small dagger.

Mariana Isabel Arteche de Leon, one of Arthur's allies that is also experienced with magic. He figured that she was either following Arthur's orders willingly because she was so devoted to him or that she was also under that demon's control. Alfred thought it was a bit of both because he had seen her eyes turn gold a few times. He knew that if she kept on stabbing her doll, Gilbert could very well get killed.

He found a banner pole nearby and bent it far enough back and tied the end quickly so he could stand on it. Once he releases the rope to launch himself, it just threw him onto the ground and the pole hit him on the head when it rebounded.

"Okay, not such a good idea. I don't get it… It works in the books." He said as he rubbed his head. Alfred went to another flagpole quickly while being chased by two guards. He knocked them out quickly before scaling the pole like a monkey. He heard Gilbert give out another excruciating cry and another loud eerie clash of metal from you and the executioner as you tried to protect Gilbert.

He ran across the wall and tackled Mariana knocking her over. He saw that she had a miniature doll that looked like Gilbert and of that guard that was going to hang him. He knew that he had to destroy it so that Gilbert couldn't get hurt from her.

"If it isn't Alfred.~" Mariana said sweetly. "Arthur's really worried about you. Imagine how heartbroken he'll be when he finds out that you're betraying him."

"I don't betray my friends. But I don't follow demon's orders either." He pinned Mariana down and tried to pry the doll from her hand which she kept out of his reach. He was able to force it from her and absent mindedly grabbed a match and lit the right shoulder on fire which gave Gilbert another painful scream.

"Oh shit… My bad." He put out the flame and checked the match and it had a tiny picture of a skull on it meaning that it was one of Mariana's. He was struggling to keep Mariana back and kept the doll out of her reach.

You had the executioner's full attention now that Gilbert was on the ground in extreme pain and barely able to move. You shuffled back towards the post and when your back was against the post, you waited until the executioner swung at you and at the right moment, you spun out of the way and the axe was lodged within the post.

"Gilbert, the lever!" Gilbert was near the lever and could pull it easily. You mustered all the strength you had and charged at the large beast of a man and forced him towards the trapdoor. Gilbert opened the hatch at the right time and the executioner fell in at the perfect angle. His left leg and arm went in the hole and because of his massive size, he was stuck in the hole and was unable to move to get himself out. And he wasn't wearing a crotch guard so he was in extreme pain from down there and doing the splits.

You ran over to Gilbert and threw his arm over your shoulder as you helped him stand up and jump off the platform together.

"Nicely done, liebe." Gilbert chuckled then gasped. "You need to get to Thebes. The others have orders to go there and will wait for you and go after Arthur."

"Not without you. I have this all figured out, trust me. Alfred!"

Alfred knocked Mariana down and cut up her dolls with his sword and burned the remains with his own match which did not do anything to Gilbert. Once he was done, Alfred jumped down and ran towards you. More guards appeared and had you cornered. You willed for Alfred to run faster which he did just before the guards surrounded you pointing your bayonets at all three of you. You slipped the Homing Stone into Gilbert's free hand and made eye contact with Alfred who got your drift. You squeezed his hand as Alfred grabbed onto your arm. Gilbird was nested in your ponytail and held your hair in his beak. You whispered something into Gilbert's ear quickly as the officer who was being controlled stepped in front of you along with the brown haired officer.

"I'd say we've got three pirates to execute now." The white haired officer smiled cruelly. "Have you got any last words?"

"There's no place like home." Gilbert smirked. "Maybe next time, Specs!" He turned his head to the brown haired pirate. In a flash of light, you, Gilbert and Alfred were pulled through another high speed chute and skidded onto familiar dark wood and were stopped by crashing into Gilbert who was astonished that you actually got out of there.

Out of joy, you hugged Gilbert tightly and were about to kiss him but you stopped yourself. You couldn't do it after what you said to him and pretend nothing has happened. Instead you rested your head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean what I said. You wouldn't have been there if it weren't for me."

"Hey, I was an arshloch too, (Name). Besides, I had no right to do that after you lost your sister." Gilbert smiled as he embraced you gently. "Although, mind loosening your grip? I'm still… ah… in extreme pain." He hissed.

"Oh, sorry."

"If it isn't the English Bastard's lapdog." One of the crew members sneered as they grabbed Alfred by the scruff of the neck. "Captain, what do you think we ought to do with the spy?"

"Put him down. He's my responsibility." You say as you stand up. "I made a pact with him."

"With all due respect lass, I was talking to the captain, not YOU." The crew member who was practically throttling Alfred snarled.

"What kind of pact, (Name)?" Gilbert asked.

"He has my protection. If he helped me find you and helped us against Kirkland then I agreed to protect him. If he double crosses us, he's all yours."

"Very well. I personally don't have anything against him at the moment and he is keeping his end of the bargain so I'll leave you in charge of him." Gilbert said. "Let him go."

Alfred rubbed his neck for relief when the crewman released him. You could see four other familiar figures come into sight. Francis, Antonio and Ludwig were fussing over Gilbert and Lovino and Sakura came over to you. You were unsure of what to expect.

"Hey Lovino, Sakura." You say. You haven't really talked to Lovino at all since Feliciano was taken and you were unsure of what to expect.

"Don't you ever do that again, idiota!" Lovino screamed. Typical Lovino, you thought. One of these days he's gonna wear his voice out. He did something very unexpected: he hugged you. It was more like a strangle hug because his arms were wrapped around your neck but nonetheless, it was a hug. "We were all worried about you." He said only loud enough for you to hear. "And I don't hate you for what happened. I'm just glad you're back. It'd be too boring around here if we lost both pains in the ass. Next time you're about to disappear, don't say anything you know you're gonna regret." You weren't sure to feel happy or insulted. He called you a pain in the ass but he was worried about you. That's his way of affection, you knew that.

Sakura couldn't really bring herself to hug you, she didn't want to invade your personal space, but she did express her happiness that you were back. Although Francis had no issue as kissed you on both of your cheeks to your surprise and was glad that you and Gilbert were safe. Antonio said that Lovino probably said everything he wanted to say to you and gave you a hug and was happy that you and Gilbert were safe as well. Ludwig shook you hand and thanked you for bringing Gilbert back because Ludwig thought that Gilbert was heading to certain death for real this time.

After that was over and done with, there was only the matter of what action was to be taken next. Gilbert said that they should continue onto Thebes to restock. This time, there would be a three day limit stay to gather everything they need to face Arthur. Rain or shine, they would leave Thebes within three days of arriving. You told Gilbert about your compass but you needed the maps to help plan out where they were going afterwards.

Xxxxx

Later that night, you found yourself alone in Gilbert in his quarters. Not that you were complaining but still… It kind of felt awkward. Just a little. It was roughly two and a half months since you first stepped in this room and you saw no more than a cage. Now you couldn't be more relieved to be back.

Tori briefly visited you and she looked like she was happy for you. You said you were sorry for snapping at her and thanked her quickly for catching you before you were too far gone. She gave a nod of approval and embraced you which you returned before she disappeared.

'I'm on my way, Tori.' You smiled. 'Stay strong.'

Gilbert spread out his maps on the desk for you and you placed your open compass on the desk, eyeing it warily. You were focusing on where Victoria and Feliciano were as the arrow was slowing down from spinning uncontrollably in its set circle. The two bright threads merged into one thin thread in the same direction of the arrow meaning that they were still far away. You placed the compass on Turkey and it pointed West. You slowly dragged the compass across the map until it spun around in the opposite direction when you landed on Portugal. You move it even slower to pinpoint your location which was in the middle of nowhere on the Mediterranean. It was in between Spain and Sardinia but it was close to Spain and there was nothing there. You made a circumference around the area of your heading with a pencil then you heard a knock on the door.

"Hallo liebe. I brought dinner." Gilbert smiled and offered you a plate which you accepted. It consisted of a baked potato and cheese, cabbage rolls, sauerkraut, and some kind of sausages called bratwurst.

"Thanks." You accepted the plate. "How's your shoulder?"

"Eh, I've been through worse." Gilbert said as he took a seat on the bed. "But that was totally weird though. What kind of messed up power was that?" You shrugged your shoulders as you popped a potato slice in your mouth. "So… You figured out where we need to go?"

"Mmhm." You swallowed. "It's in between Spain and Sardinia. It's not on the map so it's probably an uncharted island."

"So that gives us two weeks in the earliest." Gilbert said. "If we had enough people who could learn magic and manipulate the winds in our favour, it would only be a matter of days. Technically we could do it with you and Lovino if we moved everyone to one ship but it's better to travel in separate ships and there'd be spacing issues."

"M'kay." You say as you cut up some food into tiny pieces for Gilbird. He doesn't seem to have a problem with the things that you eat. You both finished your meals in silent, unable to say anything. You wanted to confess to Gilbert how you felt but you were unsure how or when to bring it up. You set your plate on your lap and your attention was diverted to Gilbird who was happily pecking away at your leftovers.

"Hey, (Name)." You turned your head to Gilbert. "You don't have to be here with me if you don't want to. I'm releasing you from my demands from our wagering duel. So if you want to be in your own space, I won't stop you."

"No." You set your plate on the desk and walked over to Gilbert. Gilbird spotted where you had put your belongings and flew over to the blanket that you had rolled up into the corner and fell asleep once he made a quick nest.

"I want to be with you, I truly do." You sat down next to him. "You've shown me that there's more to pirates, more to you, than I originally thought. And I love you Gilbert. I don't want to lose you again." You moved your hand onto his and gently squeezed it. You hold your breath in anticipation as you could feel your heart beating in your throat.

"(Name)..." Gilbert said softly as he gently pressed his lips against you which you accepted. You missed him more than you thought and since he was about to die, it made you even more grateful that he was with you now. "I never thought that I would actually but… I love you more than anything in the world… Well, except for Ludwig but you know what I mean."

"Touché. Tori's waaaay above you." You smirk as you kissed him with light passion. "But I still think you're pretty awesome." Your placed your forehead against his as you smiled. How you missed his warmth. "Gilbert... I've been thinking and… I want to start that night over. Make things right."

Gilbert blushed slightly and you could see that he was doing a very poor job of hiding his smirk.

"You sure that you want to?"

"Yes. I hate to think about it but we might not have another chance. I want to take it now while it's still here."

"Alright."

* * *

><p><strong>Heads up for long chapter. 19 pages long! Next update might take a while because I'm gonna be uploading the next two chapters at once. I'll try to finish at the end of the month or worst case scenario, after my finals and I'll just upload requests.<strong>

**And at some point, I'm gonna be editing previous chapters later to fix time and locations so it will be a while for the next chapter. But here are locations and a general geography in case some of you are a tad confused:**

**Your original home is Andros, which is on an island on the Aegean Sea. Stenies is the home that you've been living in for the past 3 years and it is North of Andros but also on the same island. And there's a whole bunch of islands in between Andros and Crete but let's pretend there's only like two or three islands in between. (I should really draw a map or something…)**

**The pirate port you arrive at in Chapter 5 is called Thebes. It actually did exist in Egypt and Greece but for this story, it's a fictional island in the middle of the Mediterranean. It's south of the Ionian Sea and about two weeks of sailing away from Andros. And the Seal itself is in between Cyprus and the mouth of the Nile but it is closer to Egypt than to Cyprus.**

**I'll comment on more later but for now, night!**

**I do not own Mariana, Hetalia or you**


	11. Chapter 11

You slid an arm around Gilbert's neck, drawing him into a kiss. He nibbled and licked your lips, asking for entrance which you had granted, allowing him to explore your mouth. He pulled away and smirked.

"West's potatoes were good, weren't they?" You felt yourself blush at his comment.

"I didn't have much of a menu while I was on my way here and they WERE the best thing I've eaten in a while. But Feli..." You couldn't bring yourself to continue and you were in danger of crying when you thought about Feliciano.

"Hey." Gilbert noticed your pain. "It's alright. We'll get them back. For now, let's just focus on now. Ja?"

You nod and Gilbert kissed your cheek.

You didn't particularly feel guilty of doing this now, granted it was awkward and a bit of a mood killer, but moping and focusing on only Feliciano and Victoria wasn't going to save them any faster. It was better to focus on now and cherish what you have while it was still here.

Gilbert slid your leather boots off while you started to undo his cape and his coat. He snaked his hand under your pant leg to run his hand on your long legs while you slid his coat off. He hissed and swore in German when you slid his coat off his right shoulder.

"Is it your shoulder?" You ask in alarm.

"Yeah. Fick. But it's not that bad." He gritted his teeth.

"Did you actually look at it?"

"No." He admitted and you sighed.

"Then let me." You carefully peeled off the corner of his white shirt and his shoulder was an angry red and looked like it was blistering on his back.

What could've caused this? Those kind of blisters are caused by burns, you knew too well because you got them occasionally when you weren't careful while you were working in the bakery.

"I can fix that." You slid off the bed and grab your empty canister of water and went outside. The deck felt cold on your feet and thought you should've put your boots back on. You found some rope, tied a decent knot then tossed the canister into the water and brought it back up.

The canister was icy to your touch when you pulled it back up and it was perfect. You return to Gilbert's quarters and made sure to lock the door behind you.

"Sea water." You say as you grab a cloth out of one of Gilbert's drawers next to the bed. "Bet you two bucks that it'll work better than booze."

"You sure that you want to be betting against a pirate, liebe?" Gilbert smirked.

"I made my stakes. I know my remedies. Besides..." You whipped out a two dollar coin and held it in between your fingers. "Have you ever seen me not live up to a bargain? Three days. If you're still in excruciating pain, you get this."

"And if I'm not..." Gilbert gave it some thought. "I'll give you a foot massage. How's that?"

You instantly turn red and freeze which made him laugh.

"F-fair enough." You climb onto the bed and sit on your knees. "Lie down on your stomach."

Gilbert surprised you yet again by putting his head on your lap. He had removed his shirt which left his back exposed to you. He was well toned for someone who was generally scrawny. His beautiful pale back was lightly scattered with scars but they were hardly noticeable.

You turned your eyes back to your target, his right shoulder, and it was apple red all the way down to the shoulder blade and there were open sores on it too.

"This is going to hurt. You're badly burned and you've got a few open sores."

"In my defense, I was getting a tan."

"You need a better technique then." You smiled then gently pressed the cold cloth on his shoulder. He didn't even wince. Within a few minutes, the redness had gone down to a shade of pink.

"I think you should not put your shirt on until morning, give it some air. I also received some herbs that should help so I'll put them on tomorrow."

"You're an angel, (Name)." Gilbert smirked as he slid off the corset on your shirt and began undoing the bottom buttons on your shirt. "Makes me wonder why you aren't a nurse."

"Too demanding and too dull. Questions?"

"Not in the least. I still think you make a better pirate anyway." He exposed your stomach to him which he kissed delicately. You flinched at this somewhat new and strange feeling but you trusted him and let him continue. You lean to rest your cheek in his messy white hair and ran your hand down the back of his neck down his back, gently applying pressure.

As he was moving up your body, he gradually sat up, allowing you more access to kiss his body. You glided your hands across his chest earning a pleased growl from him while brushing your lips on his neck in different spots.

Gilbert froze completely when his hand stopped on your collarbone while undoing the top two buttons on your shirt leaving the two in the middle keeping it together.

"What is it?"

"Where did you get this?" Gilbert whispered as he grasped the cross around your neck.

"A boy saved my life when I was seven. He left this behind and... If I found its owner, I promised I would fall in love with him."

"Even if he was a pirate?" Gilbert pulled out his cross and they were the same.

"Yes." You met his gaze.

"Really? You don't seem like the kind of girl who would fall in love immediately."

"You're right. I'm not. But I never said that I would love him right away." You smile cheekily. "So... I suppose you want it back?"

"Nah. It's yours. I was told if I were to give it away, give it to the girl I love. And I'm glad that you got it instead of- ... shiesse. Nevermind." Another woman, a whore. You thought. But you didn't care. You knew that he was serious about you, that he loved you. You were sure of it.

"I didn't think that I would be your first from the beginning." That was the nicest way you could phrase 'I know you don't have a clean track record.' "I don't honestly care about that. I trust you."

Gilbert guided you on his lap so that you would straddle his hips. He captured your mouth once more and broke apart before long.

"You should know you should never trust a pirate, (Name)."

"I don't. But I trust and love Gilbert Beilschmidt."

"And I love you, (Name) (Name). I have to admit, you are by far my greatest adventure." Your heart fluttered when he said that. You had to admit, he can be very romantic. There was a difference between seduction and romance and this was romance, it was tender and real.

You kissed him again, trying to repeat that tender kiss you shared that day with the majestic sunrise. You wanted him to embrace you, you wanted that warmth you had at that time.

You caresses his jawline and deepen your kiss as he took off your shirt and tossed it across the room along with your undergarments then started fondling your breast.

You loved this warm sensation that he was giving you but you didn't really do anything other than gasp in surprise occassionally.

"You're still so quiet, liebe." Gilbert smirked. "Are you not enjoying this?"

"No, I..." You were unable to say anything as you were blushing and left speechless as Gilbert continued to apply pressure to your chest. "Was I supposed to do anything?" You ask innocently.

"I was hoping that I would hear some moans from your pretty mouth." He purred seductively as he placed a chaste kiss on your ear.

"I see no point in it." You say bluntly. "Besides, I rather not wake half the crew up."

"Haven't changed too much, have you?"

"A little. Problem with that?" You smile playfully.

"Not at all. Sometimes I love things that are out of the ordinary." He whispered huskily as he drew you into another kiss, trying to dominate your mouth. You teased him by letting him try dominating then you started to try to dominate him, turning this into a very passionate kiss.

Once Gilbert ran his hands down your stomach, it surprised you and he had earned his domination and flipping you on your back. He trailed his hands down your waist, sliding off your pants. Once he was done that, you took the opportunity to glide your hands all over his body, gently applying pressure to his well developed muscles that were under his beautifully pale warm skin, earning a moan or a pleased growl from him as he slid the rest of his clothes and sliding your underwear off, leaving you both stark naked.

Gilbert was more focused on your upper body at the moment, trailing his tongue down your body and scouting out your soft points and once he found them, he gave you playful nips down your neck and even you couldn't supress a soft moan. You wrapped your arms around his neck and gently entangled your fingers in his hair, bringing you closer to him.

You were unsure of what to do and the only thing you could think of was just embracing your beautiful Prussian lover. Gilbert didn't seem to mind and you could feel that he was pleased simply by the warmth and love that you were giving him. But you did manage to give him soft kisses here and there and gently caressed his neck.

"Gott. You're so beautiful, (Name)." He panted between kisses and nips. "Wunderschön." It made you tingled the way he said your name in his light German accent and added German at the end. Gilbert stopped just above your breasts and you felt his hand behind you ear reaching for your hair tie.

"How many times must we go through with this?" He sighed dramatically. "I thought I made it clear that I wanted you to break that habit of wearing your hair up all the time." He smirked as he slid it off. Before you could reply, he kissed you once again and smirked against your lips. "Gotcha.~ I'm teasing liebe. I think you look pretty no matter what. But I like it better with your hair down."

"Thanks." You laughed a bit before drawing him into another kiss, making him lie down on his back. It was your turn to place hungry kisses along his body while his arms wrapped around you and his hands rubbed your lower back. You trailed along his jawline down to his neck while your hands traced and caressed his soft and strong chest. He accidentally hit one spot that made you jolt and arch your back toward him and you could feel him smirk against your neck.

He grinded his hips against yours, you weren't sure whether it was a voluntary action or not but it sent that warm pulse throughout your body making you moan softly. You thought back the last time that pulse was sent through your body and you knew it was different and this time, it was far better. You yearned for that warmth and you were willing to love him and welcomed any new feelings that would develop through that love. So far, this was the best feeling in the world and you didn't want it to stop.

"I'm starting to think you're enjoying this, (Name)." He grinded his hips to yours again softly, making your vitals rub against each other. You moaned softly again as a streak of red returned across your face and unable to say anything but you were able to nod, somewhat damaging your pride. This was the one time you would ever tell off your pride. This might be your last chance to do this and you were going to use it to the full extent.

Gilbert flipped you onto your back while drawing you into another kiss. He ran his hand up and down your leg a few times, caressing your inner thighs once he returned to the top. You were getting a bit frustrated because he was teasing you and he knew that you were which only made him laugh a bit. You had to have him now.

"Gilbert… Please…" You panted between the kiss.

"Ja meine liebe? Is there something you want?~" He purred.

"I… I…" You took a deep breath and literally swallowed your pride. "I want you." You felt him smirk against your lips as you gasped heavily. It still didn't feel right to beg like this and part of you detested him for making you do this but your need for him was rivaling that detestation. You meet him a nose width apart and dare to look into his mesmerizing scarlet eyes and it made you forget every other feeling save for your passionate desire. He slid his hand further down your legs, rubbing your core teasingly making you gasp. "I need you. Please, take me now."

"As you wish, meine (Name)." He smirked and drew you into another deep kiss. You felt his hand travel deeper and you felt one digit penetrate you making you squeak in his mouth because it hurt a little bit. You rocked your hips, encouraging him to continue as his tongue danced with yours and explored your mouth. He added a second digit then a third, scissoring them in and out to get you prepared. With him giving you a warm feeling that was pulsing throughout your body both head to toe and toe to head at the same time.

The pleasure that you were feeling made your heart pound in sync with his and you felt like you could soar higher than the Heavens and back. You moaned in each other's mouths during the kiss and you felt the heat and pressure intensifying for a few moments before your body relaxed and you released.

"I hope you're not getting tired, liebe. We're just getting started." Gilbert said as he positioned himself at your entrance.

"Have you ever known me to give up before the game even starts, Captain Beilschmidt?~" You say playfully. You felt that he was pleased or excited that you were teasing him. You could've sworn that he sent a warm pulse from him to you. You wrapped your arms around his neck and drew him into another passionate kiss which repeated and increased that pulse's intensity, sending waves of pleasure throughout your entire being. You didn't even notice that he had penetrated you.

You only kept your focus on each other, forgetting everything else and putting everything aside only for the man that you love and who has proved that he loves you twice as much. Your bodies were rising and falling together with a pleasant warmth to blanket you. You whispered his name fully heartedly in his ear as his body moved with yours in perfect sync. He said yours with passion as he swallowed your sweet gasps and moans.

Your body relaxed once more as you reached your climax a second time but your mind did not want to stop and you allowed Gilbert to continue. He moaned some things softly in German in your ear. You thought it was very alluring and you were more than willing to let this feeling taking you. He picked up his pace and you felt like you couldn't take anymore and wanted desperately to give up. The one sane part of your mind was offering you strength and encouragement, telling you to hang on for a little while longer.

You closed your eyes as Gilbert gave you another tender kiss and your hands found his which were on either side of your head. You slid your hands under his, intertwining your fingers and he gave your hands a reassuring gentle squeeze. Soon, it was time for both of you and you climaxed together, breathing out each other's names.

You lay your head on his chest as Gilbert stroked your arm and your back and running his fingers through your hair. You inched up a little bit to nuzzle his neck. Once you were done, you kissed his cheek and whispered "I love you, Gilbert Beilschmidt" before you moved back down and curled yourself against him with your head on his chest as you both entered sleep's sweet biss.

-Extra-

You lost your two bucks. He healed in four days with the help of your treatment, not three although you figured he was faking it.


	12. Side Story

Not Everything is Silver and Gold Sidestory

Serveral days prior to the mermaid encounter…

You lost track on how many days it's been since you set sail from Thebes. You were working your hardest to improve your strength and endurance in preparation for the battle. The cut on your stomach was healing faster than normal due to Feliciano's interference and it was no more than a long shallow paper cut but it still stung and bled slightly if you were too reckless.

When this tournament first started, you lost your first two matches but from what you learned from them, you were able to win your third one and it's been on and off winning and losing streak since but you never lost three matches in a row. That was Gilbert's condition: If you, not just you but any member of the crew, lost three consecutive duels then you were not permitted to even leave the ship. Since you were a Pure One, you would be going either way but you couldn't fight Arthur's crew if you lost one too many duels in a row.

One night you were having dinner with Feliciano and were expecting Gilbert to join you at any moment. Tonight you were wearing your dress but still had your hair tied back with your low ponytail on your back. Suddenly, a young member of Antonio's crew came down the stairs and shouted "PIRATES! PIRATES ON THE DECK! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" All eyes were on him and almost all of the men rose immediately up from their seats and headed upstairs. You rose as well and were about to tell Feliciano to get behind the counter but he was sniggering and doing a very poor job of trying not to laugh.

"I don't think now's a good time to be laughing."

"Yes it is. They fell for it.~" He cupped his hands around his mouth trying to hide his laugh.

"Fell for what?" You ask cautiously as you frowned. "Feli, this isn't a joking matter."

"Come with me." He grabbed your hand and you followed him up the stairs after the dining hall was emptied. You heard some shouting above deck and assumed the worst but what you saw was not what you expected at all. You were one of the many who were shocked to see what was really going on.

Francis and Antonio's crews have gathered on Gilbert's ship for some sort of party. You could see that there were a few sitting on barrels against the railing in the middle of the ship and almost everyone had a beer mug or some form of alcohol.

"Feli, what's all this?"

"It's a party!" Feliciano pulled a guitar out of nowhere and smiled at you. "Big Brother Francis suggested it and Big Brother Antonio went along. I hate to think about it but… there is a chance that some of us may not be coming back. So, it's a celebration of us being alive." He smiled cheerfully you followed him to where the other music players were, and to your surprise, Lovino was there too. He had a tambourine and the other three had some kind of flute, a fiddle and an accordion.

"I didn't know you play the tambourine." You say as you adjust your skirt as you took a seat on the railing.

He blushed and looked away clutching the tambourine tightly in his hand.

"It's not like I want to do this. I'm not really any good at it." He mumbled.

"I'd like to hear you play." You honestly did want Lovino to play. When you would dance with your sister in the square on your free time, your co-worker would play the tambourine in a festive beat that was fun to dance to and you could do any kind of fancy footwork. Other than Victoria, you really missed dancing.

"F-fine. Don't get any ideas that I'm playing for you or anything, idiota."

"Fair enough." You chuckled.

"Hey lassie, how about you come join?" One of Gilbert's crew members called you over.

"No, I'll just watch." You did want to jump in but it was just awkward with you being the only girl here. VERY awkward.

"Uno, due, tre!" Lovino and Feliciano said at the same time. You couldn't believe what you were hearing. The beat was so quick and smooth and with Feliciano's fast fingers in sync with the flute player, the song was both festive and had a touch of a gothic feeling to it. It almost seemed like you could do a fast waltz or something with a couple dance with it. Feliciano and Lovino were singing in perfect sync which made this song amazing.

_Since the day I first saw you face_

_I anticipated the darkness of this sin_

_What a sweet temptation or whether a test_

_Embracing you forever_

_Wandering in the night_

Five crewmen were in the center of the deck, kicking their legs in the air to the beat and skipping along with the rhythm from one end of the deck to the other. Some of the crew partnered up and started to mirror each other's movements and danced around each other. It was so fun to watch.

_In the corner of a church, a square room_

_Beautiful people pray_

_Your truth is veiled_

_To reject such a confession_

_Do not imagine such wild thoughts_

_Thrown in consciousness_

_Ah, I love you_

Gilbert, Antonio and Francis started to join in as well. They were dancing in a circle together, moving close then moving away. Once they were away, Gilbert started to move his leg around the other and he slapped his foot every time he brought it up.

Antonio took off his red coat and spun around with it elegantly like a cape and started waving it around like… oh… what were they called? Bull fighters? Either way, it was quick and elegant with his arm and foot movements. And Francis popped a rose in his mouth and started twirling elegantly. Nothing really fancy from him. But it was quite the display from all three of them which was exciting.

_A silver cross is swinging on my chest_

_Revealing this shameful relation_

_If the door can't be opened, it can't be crossed_

_If only I could embrace you forever_

_Wandering in the night_

_Tonight you are kneeling alone_

_The lady's confession is suggestive_

_Talking with an indecent heart_

_I follow my reason_

Feliciano gave his guitar to one of Antonio's crew members and took your hand and pulled you off the railing. The music was still in its melody and there was no singing yet which gave Lovino time to shoot Feliciano a 'What the hell?' glare which Feliciano blissfully ignored while dragging you onto the center of the deck.

You didn't have the heart to say 'no' to Feliciano and you didn't mind dancing with him at all. It felt like you were dancing with Victoria. He put his arm on your back and took your right hand in his as your arm automatically rested on his other arm and you started galloping with him back and forth on the deck, spinning you around when you reached the end. When you were being spun, your skirt revealed part of your legs and you extended one leg out while Feliciano supported you then moved it around your other one quickly in beat to the music. You galloped together again to the other side when Lovino started singing with the new guitar member. It didn't quite sound the same without Feliciano.

_An ardent drive is guiding me_

_The moon falls apart in silence._

_I can't reach you_

_A silver cross hinders my thoughts_

_I can't stop this overflowing desire_

_If I extend my hand, I can reach you_

_Unsatisfied, I kiss you_

_Forbidden night_

Francis 'accidently' pushed Feliciano away as he took your hands and started to spin around with you. He linked your arm with his and danced in a circle and a couple of his crew members joined in. They linked arms spun a circle and moved on to the next partner to their right.

Gilbert had joined in and you made eye contact with him. He would probably make his way to you at some point so you thought you might as well dance with him sooner rather than later. Feliciano took his guitar back and started singing again with Lovino.

_Your sin is your reserve_

_I might already have fallen in the depths of the earth_

_A silver cross is swinging on my chest_

_Revealing this shameful relation_

_If the door can't be opened, it can't be crossed_

_If only I could embrace you forever_

As you were making your way to Gilbert and he offered his hand, you were pulled away by other crew members who were spinning around with each other like how you and Feliciano were dancing. Gilbert shrugged as he continued to dance. You were being spun around and while you were, you continued to move leg around the other which earned you some whistles from the crew.

_A silver cross hinders my thoughts_

_I can't stop this overflowing desire_

_If I extend my hand, I can reach you_

_Unsatisfied, I kiss you_

_Forbidden night_

You were kind of disappointed when the song was over, it was so catchy. But you were passed on to the next member anyway before you could get yourself out of this. The flute player started off and Feliciano and Lovino started playing slowly. Soon the melody started to pick up and the flute and the tambourine were heard the loudest.

This time it was Antonio's turn to dance with you when you were passed along. You positioned yourself the same way like you were dancing with Feliciano and he snatched Francis' rose and put it in his mouth while doing some sort of slow dance with you. He stepped back and you followed suit. He extended your arms as you followed him as he moved you forward with some speed and at the end, he raised your hands above your head and gently spun you around by your fingertips.

He dipped you with his other hand on your back which surprised you. Gilbert shouted something at Antonio and you turn your heads to him. Antonio smirked a bit and pretended to kiss you on the cheek which made you blush. You thought that could be considered a talent considering he still had a rose in his mouth.

"Hey! What did I just say?" Gilbert said and Antonio flashed him his usual cheerful smile.

"Sorry Gil, I don't understand you.~" It was funny to see Gilbert all worked up like this and you flashed him a small sly smirk. You weren't sure if he saw it but you stood yourself up and let Antonio lead you in the same pattern he did before. The music was starting to speed up and this dance that you were doing with Antonio didn't quite suit it so once you made it to in front of the musicians, Antonio pulled apart from you and kissed your hand.

"Hey Lovi, how about you dance with (Name)? The tambourine isn't being used much from here on out for this piece."

"Not on your life." Lovino growled. "And don't call me Lovi, dammit!"

"Hey c'mon. If I have to suffer then so do you." You walked over to Lovino offering your hand.

"You look like you're having the time of your life." You turned your head and attempted to scowl.

"I never said I was. It's just that… I did this all the time with my sister and it doesn't hurt to do something that reminds me of home." Lovino took a huge gulp of whatever was in the goblet that was next to him.

'He's only 15, he shouldn't be drinking!' You shouted in your head but bit your tongue. Lovino was not your responsibility and it was his choice.

"You owe me, ragazza." He left his tambourine on the barrel where it wouldn't move. He took your hands in a firm grip and took your hands opposite to his so that your arms were crossed. Lovino was keeping his feet moving, doing small hops and you followed suit as you skipped sideways to the other side of the deck.

Lovino moved behind you, straightening out your arms and spun you around him twice with your arms above your heads. He moved you in front of him again and spun you twice in the opposite direction.

"What kind of dance is this?" You ask.

"The tarantella. Don't get pissed at me if it isn't good enough for you."

"I never said it isn't." You smiled a bit and turned your head to him. "I think it's simple, easy to remember. Although I was kind of expecting something a little more complex." The music had changed again and it seemed very familiar to you. You couldn't quite put your finger on it. It was a soft, light waltz music with a bit of a light festive tune mixed in. For some reason, it made you think of nature and a mountain like scenery.

"Then I can take care of that." Gilbert pulled you away from Lovino. He used so much effort so that you crashed into him. "I am the most awesome dancer on the face of the earth after all and can fit your extravagant dance needs."

"Oh really? I trust you won't disappoint me, Captain Beilschmidt." You said playfully.

"I won't, liebe. Just hope that you can keep up with my awesome moves."

"I thought you might've noticed by now that I have fast feet."

"Oh really?~ Let's put them to the test." He stepped back and took your left hand in his and bent his left arm behind his back. He took a few steps forward swinging your arm forward after the fourth or fifth step and you felt yourself turn a bit when you paused and you realized what dance this was. You knew it all too well. The Ländler. Your father would dance this all the time with your mother and taught you how to dance it.

Gilbert faced you and took your other hand and started to move the other way. You hopped in sync with him two times before he stopped and let go of your left hand and spun you both around once. You noticed that most of the crew made way for you and Gilbert.

Gilbert had your hand raised and started to slowly spin you around as you walked around the deck for a few steps. Once he caught you, he took your left hand in his, straightening your left arm and bending your right arm so it went across your stomach to meet his and you continued walking another few steps. He spun you around again before placing your arms into a waltz formation and you spun around together. Once he stopped, he spun you around again once more before dipping and catching you.

"I don't remember this being part of the Ländler." You say.

"I thought you might've learned by now that we're pirates, liebe. We don't follow rules exactly." Gilbert smirked before he stole a kiss from you which earned you two some whistles from the crew while you were turning red. He stood you back up and you courteously curtsied as he bowed once the song. He took your hand and kissed it as the crew applauded.

"I would very much like to do that again, (Name). By the way, you can't refuse." He smirked as he turned away to go over to his friends. You thought he was going over to gloat.

'I can't refuse? Ha! I'd like to see him… Make me.' Gilbert had slipped the rose that was around earlier in your hand. You moved to the side and turned away from the crew so that they wouldn't see you. You gave the rose a delicate sniff while blushing. It was better than the other roses because it was mixed with the ocean's smell along with its natural sweet scent and something else you couldn't put your finger on but it was breathtaking.

'Clever sneak.' You tsked as you let the rose petals brush on your face. 'I have to admit, he got me on this one.'

Xxxxxxxx

The lyrics are the English Translation of Sangeshitsu

As promised ladies, and possibly gentlemen, here is the Pirate Prussia x Reader side story. Hope you like!

You get to dance with the BTT and the Italy bros. Lucky you.

The dances are as follows:

Italy: ...Um... Random folk/polka dance?

France: ... I dunno

Spain: The tango

Romano: The tarantella

Prussia: The Landler (I wonder how many of you guys would find this somewhat ironic? XD This was the most appealing Germanic social dance I could find)

Xxxxx

I'm trying to multitask between art and stories and... Not really working out that great

Everything's going by VERY slowly ;^; I have so much I want to do but WHY IS EVERYTHING GOING BY SO SLOWLY?

I got started on 12, haven't started on 11. I'm still looking for examples to help me out...

So next things that will be posted are 2 more button previews and Turkey x Ghost!Reader.


	13. Chapter 12

Feliciano followed silently behind Arthur into the underground fortress with Victoria in Arthur's arms. To say that Arthur was in a foul mood was an understatement. Feliciano was terrified of what was going to happen and wanted nothing more than to take Victoria and run away. He was the fastest when it came to retreating but with this pendant around him and with no real way out, he was trapped.

Arthur went berserk once that female pirate returned and failed to bring back (Name) and told Arthur that a pirate named Alfred betrayed him. What really drove him over the edge was that most of the crew were terrified of him and they were having second thoughts too. Feliciano had never seen anything like it, he had nightmares for days and he swore that there was blood everywhere.

They finally arrived at an underground chapel where there was a long hallway between the double doors and a grand staircase. It was creepy how empty this room was with stain glass windows above them with pictures of demons and angels alternating in each one. The room was no longer empty once Feliciano followed Arthur up the right spiral staircase.

Once he reached the top, there was another set of stairs that lead to that lead to a wall with two gargoyles crossing their wings where a door entrance might be. Across from the two gargoyles, there was a third one with a large gem in its chest containing six golden balls and wisps of smoke dancing around them.

Feliciano looked at his immediate surroundings and he was horrified. There were seven altars, six in a circle and one unoccupied altar in the center. The others were occupied by three boys and three girls. They were all so young, the oldest looking one was a boy with chin length golden hair. But with them resting so peacefully, it was hard to tell.

Arthur placed Victoria on the center altar and positioned her like all the rest, hands crossed on her stomach and he cast a spell in which a light engulfed her body. Once it faded, she was in a elegant short white dress.

"Quite fitting for a princess, wouldn't you say?" Arthur smirked. "A very troublesome princess if you ask me. Love really is unpredictable and always seems to get in the way of the grand schemes which I find to be a nuisance." Arthur sighed and lowered his head so his forehead touched her hands.

Feliciano noticed that Arthur's eyes shifted from gold to a deep shade of green, a shade that Feliciano hasn't seen from him before and he was unsure of what to expect. He was quite afraid of what he was going to do to Victoria.

"I promised I'd reunite you with your sister…" Arthur's eyes went back to his usual lighter shade of green with a gold tint to them and smirked again as he stroked Victoria's cheek. "And a gentleman never goes back on his word."

"Don-Don't touch her!" Feliciano weakly shouted. "Don't touch Victoria!"

"And what do you know boy? You don't even know who she is." Arthur replied lazily as he stood up.

"I know she's (Name)'s sister. And (Name) is part of my family and therefore, Victoria is my family too and I… I won't let you hurt her!"

"Who said that I was going to hurt her?" Arthur said slyly emphasizing on 'I'.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Look around you. Is it really that hard to figure out what's going to happen once I get the girl's heart and soul here?"

"You know what I mean. What are you planning to do to (Name)?"

"Good boy. You're cleverer than I originally thought." Arthur mused. "I have no need for weak vessels and with my power weakening its grip, I say good riddance to them. It would be better if I could concentrate all my power on one vessel instead of four."

Arthur motioned to three other figures Feliciano hadn't noticed before on the sides. There was a blonde pirate in a long black coat and garments and he wore an eye patch. The eye that wasn't covered was a vivid blue. The other figure was short Asian man with a dark ponytail and was wearing red oriental robes. His eyes were gold but not quite the demon's shade. The third was the female pirate he met before.

"I was hoping that I could have Kirkland sacrifice himself for my sake but there is proof that there are others who challenge his power and he is no longer the strongest. You and (Name) have deemed worthy candidates and I intend to take one of you because my body no longer exists." Feliciano's eyes widened in horror. "If both you and (Name) make it difficult for me, well… I can't promise that you will be responsible for your actions. I'll make you kill everyone if she refuses to yield and you somehow manage to resist attacking her."

"Then… Then take me! Take my body if you want it so badly."

"Sadly, there's the rub. You don't get to decide who shall be sacrificed. Your job is to release her soul seeing as I can't do it. And she has to decide whether to bring you to the darkness in her place or go herself as my sacrifice. But if she doesn't make her choice quickly and you don't release her soul and her sister's soul, I'll make you kill everyone and you'll be my sacrifice. "

"That not fair! It makes no sense!" Arthur walked over to Feliciano and slapped him on the cheek which made him yelp.

"That's the world. It's going to be MY world soon. You obey then I will let you live with your so called family."

Xxxxxx

It seemed like the days were going by very quickly and at the same time, they were going by at a torturously slow pace. It was easy restocking from Thebes, the crews knew exactly what they needed and gathered everything within two days. There weren't any new recruits this time around but the crew that was still around were highly skilled. The new recruits you picked up last time were among those who were killed any there was no time to train wannabe pirates.

The winds were in your favour on the day you were set to sail. However, they turned into a storm later in the evening that dragged on through the night. This time, you didn't have to help secure the sails, you had to help navigate with your compass. The giant waves threw the ships off course and it took two other men along with Gilbert to control the helm of his ship. You stayed near them to give the direction you needed to go and you held onto the compass as if it was the last lifeline you had.

Other than that one night, it was smooth sailing. You were relieved (or more like kicked out) of kitchen duties, courtesy of Ludwig. You thought Ludwig was alright but he was stricter than Gilbert regarding cleanliness and training and had an unintentional frightening appearance. But the way that Feliciano talked about Ludwig, you did believe Feliciano when he said Ludwig was a nice person. You learned to not get in his way when cleaning. He was originally supposed to help you but somehow, you ended up without kitchen duty.

You weren't complaining too much though. It gave you more than enough time to improve your fighting skills. Since you joined Gilbert and his crew, your skills have improved significantly. You had one or two excellent techniques and tactics but overall, you were slightly above average regarding your skills. It was enough for you to survive and this time, just being able to survive isn't enough. You had to set your goals much higher. You trained vigorously with Alfred and Gilbert to improve your physical attacks and didn't really work to improve your magic with Lovino.

"Again!" You panted and pointed your sword at Alfred once you finally managed to knock his sword out of his hand. You made too many mistakes when fighting him. He almost beat you but you were finally able to get the upper hand. This wasn't the first time this happened when you were dueling him. He almost always had an advantage because of his strength and knocked you down several times but you forced yourself back up and managed to knock his sword out of his hand. Your body was exhausted and pleading you to stop but your mind was like a drill sergeant, telling you to keep going.

"(Name), dude, don't you think we should take a break? I mean, you've been going practically non-stop and you've improved. And I'm hungryyyyy." Alfred whined.

"One more round, Alfred!" You barked. It goes without saying that your attitude was fairly sour while you were in your non-stop training mode. You thought that you had every right to continue training until you literally passed out because you believed that this would improve your endurance and you have a limited time span to do so.

"Last one."

"Very well." You raised your sword and pointed at him. "Don't expect me to lay off." Before you could begin the battle, there was a flash of light and some strange thing appeared out of nowhere. You skidded to a stop but kept your footing.

'What in the world?'

"Fucking bitch." It said to you and you were horrified and furious. Before you could react, Alfred stopped you.

"Hang on, that's my friend Tony." Alfred stopped you.

'And Victoria met him? He better not have taught her those words.'

"Bitchy bitchy FUCKING! Fucking. Fucking fucking Bitchy!. "

"What? You better be serious dude!"

"You understand him?" You point to the creature.

"Yeah." Alfred's expression turned grave. "Arthur's completely losing it."

"Define 'losing it'." You said cautiously, your mind thinking of the worst that could be happening. You hold your breath in anticipation.

"He killed the majority of his crew. Once he found out that I was helping you, he killed his crew because others had second thoughts of helping him. But your sister and Feliciano are still alive."

'Thank God.' You allowed yourself to breathe again and you bit your lip. "Alfred. He has to be stopped. I'm ending it once we get there."

"No, (Name), please! Just-just give him a chance! I KNOW he's still alive."

"How long do we have to wait?" You cried with tears threatening to spill from your eyes. "You say that the person you knew is still alive but I can't just sit around and let my sister and my best friend die while we wait! I'm putting an end to it all."

"There's still time. They can all be saved, (Name)."

Later that night, Alfred had gathered the crews and explained the situation by translating Tony's rather unique speech. Even though Arthur didn't have his crew, he wasn't alone. If someone were to believe Alfred's theory that Arthur was actually possessed by a demon, then according to him, three other pirates were possessed as well.

"We have an advantage, don't we then?" Lovino said and some of the crew members agreed. "I think it's time we've gotten some payback." He said as he cracked his knuckles. You translated this as his way of saying that he won't let Kirkland off so easily since he took his twin brother.

"Don't be so rash, Lovino." Antonio said. "Just because that we outnumber him doesn't mean that the odds are in our favour."

"And if those other demons are free…" Francis started as his gaze steadily descended to the deck in fear.

"Like hell we're going to let him have his way! He may have magic powers but we've got more than enough skilled men! We don't go down so easily!" Gilbert said loudly and most of the crew cheered.

'Right. We don't go down without a fight.' You smiled to yourself. 'Until the very end.'

Xxxxx

You woke up at dawn for the next few days, staring out to the horizon in search for that one island where Kirkland was waiting. That island was not in sight and it was killing you on how slow this journey was progressing. Once the threads on your compass got thicker, you eased up a bit on your training. After much persuasion from Gilbert and your friends, you did not push yourself too hard after Tony came because it would be really bad if you had overworked yourself.

Finally, you reached the island by nightfall on the fifth night. The waters bordering the island were no less treacherous than the ones at the Seal when it came to rocks that blocked the ships' paths. The entrance was on sea level and only boats could get through it.

Gilbert, Antonio, Francis and their boats followed in single file once the ships were in. Alfred, Ludwig and Gilbert were in with you and Sakura was told to remain behind for her safety. Once you landed inside the cave, you were quite surprised to see that it was modernized. It was more like a castle or a fortress inside. The architecture was at least from the Renaissance era and it also had a Gothic theme to it. There were gargoyles marking the paths that stretch down the main hall and if someone were to stray from the main path marked by gargoyles and a dull red carpet, they could easily get lost with the number of doors and corridors throughout the halls.

The rooms gave you a haunting eerie feeling as you continued to walk forward. Your footsteps echoed and it seemed like it was quiet as if you were the only ones there. But you knew better. You could feel at least one pair of eyes burn into your being, watching your every move. You finally made it to a grand chapel like room where there was a dual entry grand staircase straight ahead of you. You could feel a menacing aura just above it and you had a feeling that Kirkland was there.

Once you reach on the metal landing, you were horrified to what you saw. Seven altars. All occupied by dead… No, they weren't dead. They couldn't be. Arthur couldn't afford it… By seven sleeping people in white elegant clothing. They were no doubt all the Pure Ones. The center altar had your sister with her serene sweet face that was frozen in a deep sleep and it killed you to see her like this. Your mind told you that she was dead.

'No, she isn't! She can't be!' Out of instinct, you ran up to her.

"No, (Name) wait!" Gilbert tried to hold you back but you were too quick for him.

"Tori!" You cried as you embraced her upper body with your arms, holding her close. She was cold, far too cold and it added to her deathlike appearance. It was definitely something that you did not want after being separated for so long.

"Now isn't this a touching scene." A familiar voice drawled. You turned your head to a second set of stairs that lead to a higher landing and Arthur was sitting on top of it, smirking away. Three figures appeared on the landing you were on, surrounding Gilbert and the others. They all had a goldish tone in their eyes and expressionless faces.

You saw there was a female pirate with black hair and black clothing, a tall blonde spikey haired pirate and a fairly short pirate with long brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail and was wearing traditional Chinese clothing.

"Kirkland!" You growled.

"Miss (Name) we meet again. I'm so glad that you and your companions could join me for the ceremony. As you can see, all the Pure Ones are here but one is incomplete and I can't start the ceremony until she is. So here's the deal: If you co-operate, I will grant you and you loved ones protection so that you may survive the new era." Arthur made his way down the stairs with his boots clanking on the metal.

"No. Don't think for a second I'll yield to you." You draw your sword. "There's NO WAY you're taking my sister's heart!" Gilbert and the others started engaging with the other three pirates while you dueled with Arthur. He seemed less difficult to fight than you expected and you knew that something was wrong. You were fighting him by yourself and it was difficult to protect yourself. You were able to land a few attacks on him but you knew that he was holding back, like he had an ace up your sleeve.

You made him back up the second set of stairs to the middle of the landing and you crossed your blades with each other and moved in a circle as if you were in a dance. Your eyes met each other in a tense atmosphere. Green eyes that have shifted to a malicious gold during the fight were locked on to your feisty determined (e/c) eyes.

There was something that distracted you from the fight, the gargoyle that divided the top of the landing dividing the stairs had a peculiar large gem in its chest. You weren't entirely sure what was in there but you had an idea and you knew you had to get rid of it somehow. You soon got your wish when you finally were able to set Arthur up. You had your back to the statue and had your free hand supporting yourself on it as you slowly walked around.

"Scared, love?" Arthur smirked.

"You wish." You growled. Arthur thrust his sword at you and you spun out of way at the perfect time so his sword would stick in the gem and released the golden orbs and flew over to the bodies, merging with them. You noticed that beyond the 7 bodies shadow beings had appeared fighting the others making their numbers even. Your attention was redirected back to Arthur who had a malicious smirk that seemed to be growing.

"Six out of seven. I will forgive you for that little stunt if you let go of your sister's heart."

"I don't like repeating myself, Kirkland." You reply curtly. "What are you going to do? Your magic won't work on me."

"That may be true. But what about… dear Feliciano?" He snapped his fingers and Feliciano appeared out of nowhere in front of Arthur and took a swing at you with magic fire.

"Feli!" You cried. You were ready to burst out into tears once you saw him. He was beaten up, he was bloody, tired, and he absolutely didn't want to fight you despite that he was forced to.

"(Name), get out of here! Take everyone and go!" He automatically raised his arms as if he were to cast a spell on you.

Gilbert, Lovino and Ludwig turned and all shared a horrified expression once they saw Feliciano. He was making every offense possible to corner you and attack you. You couldn't strike back at him or run away because he and Lovino were the only ones that were faster than you.

"You may have freed six Pure Ones but there's no way you can free both your sister and Feliciano and still walk away." Arthur smirked.

Gilbert and Lovino tried to make their way over to help you but the female pirate that was helping Arthur and the Asian pirate was keeping them busy and blocking their path.

"It's rude to leave in the middle of something." The Asian pirate said as he relaxed his arms a bit from his attack position.

"Then allow me to take their place, Teacher." Another Asian boy that was a bit shorter than Lovino dashed in between them with balls of ember in his hands. A long blonde haired girl stepped in as well and her hands were glowing a deep green and some stones were floating behind her.

"Go help your friend! We've got this!" The girl said to Gilbert.

"But before you do…" A cheerful looking blonde haired brown eyed boy cast a spell and Gilbert and Lovino's injuries were healed. "You don't want that to slow you down, now do ya? If you'll excuse me, I have to try and knock some sense into my friend." He said with a Finnish accent. Gilbert nodded in thanks to him before he helped another girl and Alfred fight off the tall spikey haired pirate in black.

Gilbert and Lovino were almost to the landing when they felt something was constricting their bodies and they felt as if their lungs were being squeezed out. They turned and the female pirate was squeezing the life out of two straw dolls.

"I won't let you get to Arthur!" She smirked. "Hey, Beilschmidt. How about you blow your girlfriend one last ki- ack!" She was shot twice simultaneously but her wounds healed almost instantly.

"What a nuisance." A blonde haired, green eyed boy muttered as he held up his gun along with a girl next to him who was also holding a gun.

"Vash! Long time no see!" Gilbert grinned.

"Hmph. Get your head straight Gilbert and go after Kirkland!"

You kept on dodging Feliciano's attacks quickly with very little time to rest. You had a tight grip on your sword but refused to attack him. Arthur was watching you like a hawk with a smirk on his face.

"You won't get anywhere if you only keep on dodging him. You have to grip his heart with every amount of strength that you have and you can't do that from afar either otherwise you lose everything." Arthur was suddenly engaged by Gilbert and Lovino came to help you.

"Lovi!" Feliciano squeaked as tears fell down his face.

"Do you have any idea what trouble I had to go through you bastard?" You were about to reprimand Lovino for speaking to Feliciano like that but then you thought this wasn't the best situation. "C'mere so I can give you a good ass kicking."

Feliciano gave a bitter smile. "Then… Give me a good ass kicking."

"Lovino wait!" Lovino ran up to Feliciano and you pulled Lovino back before Feliciano could cast his spell. "Lovino, we can't get close to him."

"But that necklace is controlling him! What do you mean we can't get close?"

"He knows how to release the heart." Feliciano suddenly froze and gripped the sides of his head until his knuckles turned white and let out a horrifying scream. Everything stopped and all you could see was Arthur smirking and saying 'Time's Up'.

"Feli!"

"Please… Just… Just get out of here. Now! Take Victoria and run!" He clutched his head even harder. "It hurts… Make it stop, make it stop! Make it STOP!"

You couldn't handle his screams and you acted on impulse and ran up and embraced him as tightly as you could.

"No, (Name)! Get away!" He cried. You could feel his hand trying to make his way to your chest through your tight grip.

"Feli... I won't let you go. You don't have to scream anymore. We're going to go back together! All of us!"

"No, (Name) please! Leave me! I'll be forced to...!" You slipped your hand around the chain of the amulet and shut your eyes.

"It's alright." You said soothingly.

"But then you'll be trapped into the Darkness!" You could fell his hand above your heart and you knew it was only seconds before it happened. All eyes were on you and you caught a glimpse of Arthur's smirk.

"I know. But for the people I love, it's worth it." You glanced to Victoria and Gilbert one last time before a white light blinded you to darkness.

"(Name)!" Feliciano cried as you were falling to the ground, snapping off the amulet and smashing it into pieces once it impacted on the hard floor. Two hearts were released, one with a golden ember surrounding it and one with a bright silver flame dancing around it. The silver one went through the doorway the gargoyles guarded and the other to Victoria.

When Victoria woke up, everything seemed to go in slow motion. You were falling with your eyes closing, almost everyone was screaming your name and all the fighting stopped. She got off the altar and ran to your lifeless body on the landing. Arthur and Gilbert ceased their duel to allow Gilbert to rush to you.

"Big sister!" Victoria went on her hands and knees and shook you hard. "Big sister, wake up please!"

"Oh my God." The brown haired girl gasped in horror as the Asian pirate, the female pirate and the spikey blonde haired pirate froze and the golden shades in their eyes left them to their original colours. They stood around, trying to calculate their surroundings and then realized that they were in serious trouble.

"It is done. Thank you very much, (Name). I couldn't have done it without you." Arthur smirked before the golden shade in his eyes faded to a deep emerald green. Arthur quickly realized the situation they were in when he was back to normal.

"Oh bloody hell." He gasped as he walked toward your body. "What have you done?"

Gilbert immediately rose and grabbed Arthur's coat and pinned him against the wall.

"It's your fault, you damn English bastard!" Gilbert shouted at him. "It's your fault that (Name)'s gone!" For the first time in a long time, Gilbert was crying, tears were going down his face. He was about to hit him harder than he hit anything in his life.

"No! Stop! Don't hurt Mr. Kirkland! It's not his fault!" Victoria grabbed Gilbert's arm to stop him. "It's not his fault!" Her turquoise eyes met Gilbert's crimson ones, pleading him to stop which Gilbert hesitantly obliged.

"Big sister is still alive." Victoria said as bravely as she could. A large dark shadow appeared at the doorway and started to engulf everything. The Pure Ones quickly came to the landing as Gilbert carried your body away from there and everyone moved away.

"We have all the Pure Ones here! We can still seal it!" Vash said as he and the others started using their magic to fight back the shadows. "Victoria! Use your magic to help us! Otherwise the demons will get out!"

Victoria's eyes widened and she was trembling. "I-I can't. I can't do it." She burst out crying.

"Are you crazy?" Gilbert shouted at them. "(Name)'s in there!"

"If we don't seal it now before the king gets out, we're all doomed." The blonde girl said.

"(Name) can beat him! And she'll come out, please just give her some time!" Feliciano said.

"Are you crazy?" Another dark haired girl snapped. "You're expecting us to put all our faith into one girl? She won't last long against him and if she loses, he'll get out. You can't save someone without making a sacrifice."

"She's not making a fucking sacrifice! She's taking a chance to protect everyone she loves and she will come back!" Lovino said.

"Take the risk." Gilbert growled. "Give her time." There was a pregnant silence in the area until Arthur broke it.

"It's up to Victoria. She can either help the other Pure Ones or sit back."

"I'm going to take it. I believe in Big Sister and you should too!" She gathered her strength and glared at the doorway. "If anyone can win, Big Sister can."

* * *

><p><strong>Ladies and Gents, the long awaited Chapter 12 is FINALLY here! *applause* I want to draw that scene where the readerLena hugs Feliciano and her heart's about to be released. **

**I am uncertain when the next one will come out but I will try to work on it ASAP among other things! Enjoy!**

**Any kind of feedback is generally appreciated :D**

**And just to refresh your memory, the Pure Ones are: (These are all people on DA btw)**

**Love: Victoria**  
><strong>Loyalty: Georgia (dreams2much)<strong>  
><strong>Valiancy:Iris McKellan (PrussianPersephone)<strong>  
><strong>Tactfulness: Aya Cohen (Americaismyhero)<strong>  
><strong>Pacifism: Switzerland<strong>  
><strong>Honour: Hong Kong<strong>  
><strong>Curiosity: Finland (And this person found the compass that the reader has. ;) )<strong>  
><strong>And the female pirate is Marianna who belongs to (kemonekko123)<strong>


	14. Chapter 13

Gilbert had not cried in a long time. Not since Arthur took his younger brother. If only he hadn't gone on that stupid venture with his two best friends. If only he stayed with Ludwig instead of leaving, he may have saved him. It wasn't a total loss though. Feliciano and Lovino both were able to get out and in Gilbert's care. They were somewhat independent which made his job a bit easier.

He was only 17 at the time, he had a promising life ahead of him. But without his little brother, his world had shattered and no matter what he did, no matter who was with him, he would never feel that same joy he once had.

He drank and he fooled around with several women which gave him back a bit of happiness that satisfied him for a while. With the help of Antonio, Francis, Feliciano and Lovino, he reset his limits so that he could keep what was left of his sanity and hope alive and kept pushing him forward. He didn't stop trying to get that temporary happiness entirely however, he limited himself but did not stop.

When he first met you, he didn't deny that he was attracted and wanted you when you were risking your life to trying to protect your little sister. You were just another toy that would make him happy for a little while.

But there was one thing that made you different from the rest of the women: you had no love for him whatsoever. You didn't even try to give him love. The only thing he saw was that you had loved your sister and only did this to keep her safe. He knew that you could actually see him for what he was.

A liar. A thief. A manipulative person. A pirate.

He was determined to change your view of him for his own enjoyment. He would not allow the harsh reality shatter what was left of his world.

The more he tried to win your heart, the more he realized what a genuine treasure you were. You were very different from the others. You had a pure, tender heart that was well protected, a heart that survived a monstrous tragedy and was still able to live on. It bloomed so beautifully when you allowed it to show.

Your smile, the warm kind atmosphere you created, your courage, your wits, he never wanted- he never needed anything more in his life (other than his brother). And to earn your love, he had to give you his. And Gilbert not once regretted loving you.

These thoughts passed through your eyes soon after your own life flashed before your own.

Fear was starting to course through you, was this actually the end for you?

Something warm and wet trailed down your cheek. A tear. But it was not your own. Even though you were scared, you were not in the mood to cry.

"I'm coming back." You turn your head upward and say to the sky.

Wherever you were, everything was in shadows. You could make out shapes around you. You were not on the ground, you couldn't tell if you were floating, falling or rising. There were no sources of light to guide your way and you let your body go with the flow for the time being.

You knew you weren't alone. You were determined to go back to your loved ones, but there was also something bigger out here. You could feel it. And whatever that was, it was threatening your world. Just like it threatened and destroyed Andros. You weren't going to let that happen.

You could feel solid ground under your feet and when you observed your surroundings, it was an endless open field with a shadowy haze blanketing the place. In the field were scattered rocks and stones, almost resembling a graveyard which was creepy.

You looked down and all of your clothes and possessions you had before were with you. Your sword, your speed potion, and your compass were all with you.

You pulled out your compass and the arrow was spinning like mad and the threads shot out of the compass and spread themselves out like a spider web.

You were unsure of where to go. You wanted to find a way back and it resulted in the complex web that was before you. You closed your eyes and the compass once more, making the threads disappear.

"Lead me to the one that threatens everything I hold dear." You gently opened the compass and a thick bright golden thread formed under the dome, in the same direction as the arrow which finally had stopped. It danced its way out of the dome and formed a long trail for you to follow. You curled your fingers around the thread as you followed it into the shadows.

Xxxx

Gilbert placed his hand on your lifeless hand that was losing warmth. He sat you down against the wall on the base of the spiral staircase on the ground floor. The Pure Ones, save for Victoria, were on the third floor, keeping the dark flames coming out of the arch at bay. He and Victoria were by your side as everyone else was fighting off shadow creatures that came out every now and then on the first floor. Feliciano and Lovino were guarding the three of you with their spells despite that they were both beat up.

Gilbert thought about helping the others but decided that it was more important to stay with you and Victoria. He couldn't bear the thought of you dying while he wasn't there to do anything to help you. Unfortunately for him, there was nothing that he could actually do but he knew that it would be wrong to leave your side at what could be your darkest hour.

"(Name)..." Victoria leaned against you and put her head under your shoulder just like when you were cuddling with her before. "We all believe in you. Come back soon."

Meanwhile on the third floor, new creatures were starting to form other than the other human like shadow demons and were giving most of the Pure Ones a run for their money. Vash and the brown haired girl fired at a giant floating snake-whale hybrid like creature with their guns but the creature grew armor and spikes that made their bullets useless.

"This is just getting stupid." She tsked.

"Don't give up, Aya!" Vash barked. "We can't afford to die."

"I'll trade you opponents!" The short Asian boy called out to Vash. He and the blond haired girl were trying to hit these tall slender figures that were running at a breakneck speed and made them impossible to be hit.

"Done." Vash cocked his gun and motioned Aya to follow. They shot the fast creatures with ease and had sharp eyes to get them in the right places.

"Georgia! There's a slower target over here!" Leon shouted to the girl.

"On my way, Leon!" She dashed to Leon's side and had some rocks floating behind her. "Got a plan?"

"Yup. Ever heard of Jonah?" Leon smirked.

"Yeah… You're planning to go in that thing are you?!"

"Nope. But I plan to make it to go kaboom." Leon held up a fire cracker in his hand.

"Aiyah! Leon! I told you not to play with… Nevermind! Get rid of that thing!" The Asian pirate shouted as he was fighting a shadow.

"Alright, say 'ah' big guy!" Georgia manipulated several rocks and made them go in the whale's mouth. Leon threw the fire cracker in the mouth, followed by several fire balls.

"Fire in the hole! Hit the deck!" Leon dove for the ground and once Georgia pinned it to the ground, she dove for the ground. As it exploded it sent mutant bits everywhere, impaling several of the shadows on the first floor and nearly hitting the crew members that were still alive.

"Give us a warning, next time, why don't you Leon?!" The black haired girl shouted as she defended Arthur and several other crew members with a water shield above them.

"I said 'Hit the Deck', Iris." Leon called back.

"Thank you." Arthur said to Iris.

"You owe me big time, Kirkland." She narrowed her blue eyes at Arthur before she attacked a creature that didn't get hit.

"Mr. Gilbert! Big Sister!" Victoria saw an armored piece headed straight for the two of you. Gilbert moved your body to the side, dove for Victoria and shielded her body with his just before the piece went past her head and stuck itself in the wall, next to where you were sitting.

"You alright?"

"Yeah." Victoria nodded.

"(Name)!" Feliciano cried out. Gilbert sat up to see what was wrong and there was a black sword hovering over you, aiming straight for your heart.

"Big sister!" Victoria bolted from underneath Gilbert and reached for the hilt in hope to get the sword away from you. Her hand went right through it before she could touch it. She tried moving your body away but it just followed you. "Huh?! It won't leave!"

"It's probably an enchanted sword." Ludwig said as he finished off a shadow creature and walked towards Gilbert. "That probably belongs to the leader in the other world. I think if (Name) loses her fight… The deed will be done."

Xxxx

As you walked down the path, you felt as if something was slowing you down. There was intense pressure on your shoulders and it was very difficult to breathe. You couldn't stop because you had a job to do. And if you didn't successfully do it, everything you loved and worked for would be lost.

As the thread of the compass guided you from the dark abyss, you took note of your surroundings and you knew this place was definitely not Earth.

The path you were walking on was a see-through rainbow stained glass bridge. However there was nothing to be seen under your feet as it was only darkness. The path was bordered with torches corresponding with the colour of tiles that they were touching.

There were floating portions of plateaus around your path, all with different sceneries ranging from gloomy wastelands to utopian meadows. Like the mermaids mesmerized sailors with their song, the beauty of the landscapes captivated you and were calling you.

If it weren't for your loved ones' and Victoria's voices that was thrice as powerful and kept you focused, you would have been taken in by this world.

The sky blazed a bright fire red as you kept on following the path. It was like that one morning with Gilbert but in this situation, it was an ill omen or a reminder that there has been and that there will be bloodshed.

The path soon came to an end and all that was standing in front of you was a mirror surrounded by wisps of light. You place your hand on the mirror to see if it was safe and it was the strangest feeling. It looks like it's just a regular mirror that was solid but it felt like water and when you touched it, it rippled like water. There were no other places to go so you just kept going.

You jumped through the water mirror with your eyes closed. The light at the entrance was so intense and it continued on for a while even with your eyes shut, all you could see was white. It wasn't until you heard the sound of waves rolling when the light faded.

You cautiously open your eyes then snapped them open when you saw where you were. Andros. Your plateau sea side home in all its glory before it was burned to ash. You couldn't believe your eyes. You wanted to think that perhaps all the events before were just a bad dream, perhaps it was all a figment of your imagination and this, right now, was reality.

"(Name)! What are you doing, standing in the middle of the road? Thinking about someone?~" Your father laughed as he came up to you and placed his hand on your head.

"Dad?" You blinked and were about to cry. You had never been so happy to see him. His (same eye colour) eyes were shining on yours with joy. His golden hair was as radiant as ever with the sun behind him and he was as silly as ever in his fishing overalls and uniform.

"Who were you expecting? The King of Spain?" He laughed. "Not thinking of a boy, are you? Why else would you be staring off into space?"

"Of-of course not!" You blushed intensely. "Besides. I-"

"I know, I know. They're all jerks." He laughed again. "You know (Name), hate and spite will only slow you down and you won't be able to do anything."

"Huh?" You blinked.

"Nothing." He smiled. "How about you go for a walk with your Mom or something? After all, a healthy mother will produce healthy children. See you tonight, (nickname)."

'Oh right… Mom found out she was pregnant a while ago.'

Before you could take another step, the scene suddenly changed to night. Flames burst spontaneously around and you ran to the docks to find your father. When you found him, he was spread across the wood of the docks with his coworkers, blood flowing from their bodies into the cracks of the wood. His (e/c) eyes had lost their joy, had lost everything, and was staring blankly.

You suddenly remembered what was going to happen.

"Mom!" You ran to your home as fast as your feet could take you but the pressure on your back was holding you down and was slowing you down. You came back to your house just in time to find Arthur and your mother.

"Please, take me! I'm the one you're looking for!" Your mother spread out her arms with a desperate look in her eyes.

"Mom, no!" You ran up to protect her but she turned to ash when you touched her as did everything else. Andros's ruins were scattered over a watery surface that you now stood on. It reflected everything, the blood that was spilt, the ashes, the ruins, and the black moon in the pale red sky.

You sank to your knees as tears streamed down your face. You were tired, you were confused, you were furious. You couldn't take this madness anymore.

"Unforgiveable." You growled. "I'll never forgive them."

"Is that a threat?" A silky voice said behind you. You recognized that voice and narrowed your eyes. You whipped your head around to see a man who was in his late twenties behind you. Once you stood up to face him, he was a good few inches taller than you, about Ivan's height.

He pushed his black messy hair back so it was slick like Ludwig's hair but the curls were evident behind his head. His narrow face bore three scars, one across the bridge of his nose, one on his jawline and one straight down his left eye. His golden eyes were hollow, hungry and lustful and it sent shivers down your spine.

He wore simple black trousers and a white shirt that was buttoned half way up, revealing his tanned toned chest that had a tattoo of a symbol on the left side. This ordinary appearance did not strike you as a demon king. But none the less, he was your target.

"That's not a threat, it's a promise." You bare your teeth and glare at him. You draw your sword quickly and point it at him. "This is a threat."

"How cute~" He mused. His creepy smile faded into a glare. "Although, it is rude. We haven't even gotten through introductions, (Name)."

"Don't need them!" You ran up to him and he stopped you by grabbing your head then pushing your face to the watery surface that you stood on and it made you terrified. You were smarter than this yet you just ran up to him and now he was drowning you.

Before you could even struggle, he pulled you out of the water, leaving you dangling in his grip and gasping for air.

"Let's try this again. I am Asmos." You glared at him with strong, defiant eyes which amused him greatly. "Those eyes… So rare and so strong. It makes me want to devour you even more." You escaped from his grip and jumped a few spaces away from him, still maintaining your glare.

"Like hell." Asmos held out his arm and shadows formed in his hand, creating the shape of a black sword. Your heart was pounding in your chest, this was your moment. This was time for revenge.

You charged at each other, clashing your blades and focusing on your footing, not willing to fall into the water surface you knew that could harm you. Your only thoughts were to get revenge on the being before you and get out. He robbed you of almost everything you had. For three years you had been living off hatred, save for that small glint of hope and courage that was always shining, helping you find your path.

Every time you landed a hit on Asmos, some shadow like chain wrapped around you, weighing you down even more. You couldn't understand why it was happening. But you knew it was very bad news for you as it gave him the advantage.

He vanished and you closed your eyes, patiently waiting and anticipating for his next move. You realized he was going to attack you from behind and avoided it. However, you could not avoid the next series of attacks that were brutally retaliating at you. His strikes were so painful and so lethal, it was unbearable. You were lying on the surface of the water with a temperature so cold that it was burning your wounds.

You had cuts and injuries all over your body. Some of them would be fatal if this was the real world. Your blood blended in the water below you with the black moon illuminating the fluids below your feet.

"If this were the real world, dear (Name), you would be dead several times over." Asmos grinned maniacally as he licked your blood off his hand. "Can you feel it? Can you feel the fear coursing through your body?"

You lifted your head up and narrowed your eyes once more. You couldn't give up. If you went down, he was going down with you. You struggled to force yourself up to try again. You couldn't lose. He had to pay.

"You still insist on fighting me?" He chuckled. "How amusing. My sacrifices are much better when they struggle. Such a beautiful soul. I can see it in your eyes. I can see that you hate me so much. That you want to kill me." Those words were strikingly familiar. You wanted him to disappear so much. "Go on! Show me everything you have! Strike me down with your hatred! Without hatred, you're weak and have no hope of defeating me!"

You remember what your father said to you. Hatred and spite would only slow you down. But what Asmos said was true; without the hatred, you didn't have the strength that could be on par with his power. At least not by yourself.

You lowered your sword and closed your eyes. The shadow like chains were dancing around you and it took you a moment to think this through. You couldn't let all of the time you spent learning how to fight go to waste. You had your reason to fight.

The will to fight on behalf of your sister and what was precious to you was stronger than feeding your flames of hatred. The same flames that burned in your mind, with the memories of death and the ashes. Why bother relighting a fire that is withering away when there is another golden thread lighting your way?

You opened your eyes with a calm gaze at Asmos. Your mind found the answer that you needed to defeat him.

"Have you finally decided to give up? Good girl. I promise I'll be gentle."

"You're wrong." You said as you raised your sword once more. "You're wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! I'm not weak without hate! I found something that has made me stronger. I may not make it out but I promise, I will defeat you with it, no matter what!"

"Oh? And pray tell what you plan to fight me with?"

"Love." You said simply.

"You are very interesting, (Name). Still following a child's dream. You never had the ability to love to begin with." His taunt unfortunately caused you to snap and charge at him once more. The chains wrapped around your arms and legs, lifting you in the air and spreading you out as if you were on the crucifix. One chain wrapped around your neck, choking you.

Asmos raised his sword's tip above your heart. Meanwhile, in the real world, the black sword was completely solid and ready to pierce your heart.

"Love. How foolish." Asmos smirked. "Look where it got you. You're on the verge of your death now."

"You're wrong." You gasped again. "Maybe it is foolish. I've never really understood it myself. But… I know it's there. I've learned to love and others. And I know for a fact that I have others that love and are waiting for me. No matter how many times you strike me down or send me to Death, I will always find a way to stop you. As long as what is precious to me still lives, I will always come back to stop you!" You shout at him.

"Big sister!" Victoria's cry echoed in your mind. Others were calling your name as well. As each voice entered the realm, the chains turned into rose vines and roses. There were two glowing lights surrounding you. One on your sword, the other on your heart. Once it faded, you were standing in silver chain-link armor with a red cape flowing behind you. In your hand was a golden sword that had replaced your other one. It was stronger, lighter and more elegant.

"Tch." Asmos sneered. "That's right. The child with the virtue of love has the power to connect emotions to strength. I'll make sure she's the first one to die when I get to the real world."

"Not as long as I'm around." Your blades clashed again and your battle techniques were unbelievable. You gave it more than what you were capable of and you perfected every skill you had learned. The thunder of the metal echoed throughout your battleground, sending sparks of light everywhere.

"I won't let you hurt them! Ah!" A sharp pain was sent through your chest as you plunged your sword through his heart. His sword was in your chest as well.

"Look at you. The mighty hero." He sneered as he fell to the water. "The Joan of Arc. Couldn't save herself. You've accomplished nothing. You lost everything." He gasped as he faded into the depths.

"No. I did everything I had to." You looked to the sky as you were fading into the water as well. "I am (Name) (Name). I know what I'm doing and willing to pay any price. Even if it means I have to say goodbye." Darkness and enveloped your sight once more.

Xxxxx

"Big sister!" Victoria screamed as the sword plunged through your heart and was fading. There was no blood coming out of you but that doesn't mean it was not a fatal blow. There were no new injuries and there was no heartbeat from you.

"(Name)! (Name), please, don't die on me." Gilbert choked as he desperately tried to revive you.

"Victoria! We need you up here!" Vash called out to her. "I'm sorry but it's now or never." Victoria looked up at the doorway and saw that the shadows were fading but it looked like it was about to burst because what shadows that were coming out were bulging. She walked up to the landing with the other Pure Ones.

They all emitted some light golden glow and shouted "Peroratio!" at once. A keyhole appeared above the doorway and a loud clicking sound could be heard, causing whatever shadows remained to vanish.

Once that was done, the other sailors cheered and helped the wounded while Victoria ran back to where you, Gilbert and the others were. Her blue eyes were watering at the sight of your lifeless body. You weren't moving at all and nothing worked, no matter who tried.

Feliciano choked out spells that only ended up hurting him and fell onto his knees, bursting out into tears like a child. Victoria went over to him to comfort and to cry against him as well. The others bowed their heads in respect for your sacrifice.

Gilbert took you in his arms with tears streaming down his face. He refused to let the others see him cry despite they knew very well that he was.

"I love you." Gilbert said hoarsely as he kissed you and rested his forehead on yours. Within minutes, a faint heartbeat was starting up again and warmth was returning to your body. Your hand moved to the back of Gilbert's head, feeling his silver hair.

"Don't you ever use normal methods to wake me up?" You crack your eyes open and smile. Gilbert couldn't help but grin.

"I told you kissing works." He said as he kissed you once more.

* * *

><p><strong>THANK GOODNESS! I finally uploaded! <strong>  
><strong>I haven't updated since... JUNE?! Holy crap... Gomen <strong>

**Due to popular demand, by a landslide, this fic was posted first~ **  
><strong>Good news is, it's finally done~ Bad news: One more chapter to go, folks.<strong>

**Although... I may be doing a sequel. No promises, no due dates. I've got enough on my plate as it is... Sorry. Let's just get one thing done at a time, kay? ;D**

**I wonder if you guys got the chapter 4 reference **

**Next thing you can expect to see in the somewhat near future is the last England x Reader x 2p England Chapter. But I have midterms coming up so it won't be done for approximately for another week or so. **

**Enjoy!~ Hope this was worth the wait!**

**I will add recommended songs later ^^**

**And just to refresh your memory, the Pure Ones are:** (These characters belong to people on DA, btw)

**Love: Victoria**  
><strong>Loyalty: Georgia (dreams2much)<strong>  
><strong>Valiancy:Iris McKellan (PrussianPersephone)<strong>  
><strong>Tactfulness: Aya Cohen (Americaismyhero)<strong>  
><strong>Pacifism: Switzerland<strong>  
><strong>Honour: Hong Kong<strong>  
><strong>Curiosity: Finland<strong>

**And the female pirate is Marianna who belongs to (kemonekko123) but unfortunately, no spotlight this chapter D; Sorry**

**Hetalia belongs to Himaruya**  
><strong>Plot, Victoria and Asmos belongs to me.<strong>

**You- Prussia  
><strong>


	15. Chapter 14

You couldn't understand how you were still alive. You were anything but ungrateful but still you couldn't help but wonder how or why you were not trapped in that world. You could feel that Asmos beat you within millimeters of your life. You felt like you couldn't move on even though you wanted to go back to everyone. You finally accepted the fact that you were going to die.

You remembered once the watery like surface swallowed you, you sank then your body was shot out like you had wings and was speeding towards the sky. You couldn't see what was making you fly but you heard voices that were all too familiar: your parents and your old friends.

"We're so proud of you." They all said in echoes. Your mother was the last voice you heard before you were sent back to the real world. "You've earned a good life. Don't waste it."

It was very cold and numb for a few moments. The first thing you could feel was warm lips tenderly pressed against your own as a tear rolled down your cheek. Your body acted on its own by reaching up to feel soft hair under your fingertips. You still were regaining your sight but your mind drew the image of Gilbert's silhouette holding you in his arms.

"Don't you ever use normal methods to wake me up?" You smile as you stare into his ruby eyes.

"I told you it works in the stories, (Name)." Gilbert smiled as he hugged you tightly.

"Big sister!" Victoria ran into you and nearly knocked you and Gilbert down with her force.

"Tori!" You sprang from Gilbert's embrace to hug your sister tightly. "I missed you so much!" You smiled at her as tears automatically formed at the corner of your eyes. "You grew! You grew!" You picked her up and spun her around in the air.

"(Name)! This is embarrassing!" She giggled in delight as you set her on her feet and hugged her as tight as you could without killing her. "And you got stronger…" She smiled.

"Oh, sorry." You laughed as you let go. You could see most of the pirates were surrounding Arthur on a higher floor out of the corner of your eye but you paid them no heed.

"It's been a really long time since I heard you laugh like that, Big Sister." Victoria smiled. "Did… Something good happen?"

"You really want the truth Tori?" She nodded. "No. It was absolute hell without you. I swear I was this close to going insane." You put your thumb and forefinger close together to emphasize your point. "But I had learned or rather… I had some sense knocked into me and I learned a lot of things. It was all really tough but in the end, it made me stronger. And…" You glance to Gilbert's direction as he was treating his crew members. "I learned to make friends…"

"And you got a boyfriend?~" Victoria said sweetly as you turned beet red.

"What the… Huh?! Wha?!" You fumbled with your words and had a flashback to that night with Gilbert and prayed she saw nothing. Suddenly, she started laughing.

"Got you~ Mr Kirkland taught me how to bluff."

"You clever little sneak!" You try to tickle her but she backed away quickly and giggled in delight. "I'll get you later." You smile. You started feeling the damage you took during your fight with Arthur and Feliciano and were in no position to chase after Victoria, no matter how much you wanted to.

"Excuse me, you're (Name) right?" You turn to face a man not much older than 19 with brown eyes and blonde hair. His blue merchant uniform looked a little rugged but he looked very kind. Next to him was a towering blonde with piercing blue eyes that looked like he was about to kill someone which made you jump a bit. You returned your attention to the shorter boy.

"Yes, that's right."

"My name is Tino. Did you happen to run into someone named Ivan lately?"

"Yes, just a couple of weeks before… all this happened."

"Great!" He smiled brightly. "Did he give you the compass I found?"

"Mmhm. It's right here." You pulled it out of your pocket and held it in the palm of your hand with the lid shut. "Is it… A Seal Treasure by any chance?"

"That's right! I came across it by accident on my travels. According to the instructions left behind, the compass would guide the user to their heart's desire, provided by that the desire would not lead to any form of wickedness. I had no use for it because I already have everything I ever wanted." He leaned to the taller man who wrapped an arm around his shoulder lovingly.

"Then my friend Ivan said that there was this one girl he knew who had lost her way completely since a tragic event robbed her of almost everything. I wanted to give it to her to help her find her way again. I'm glad it found its way to you and that you made good use of it."

"Tino… Thank you so much. … I'll take very good care of it." You smile. "Although… I have to confess that I hardly used it…"

"That's even better. That just shows you how strong you are by being able to stand on your own and following your heart." Tino smiled as he placed a hand on your shoulder. "Consider it as a thank you gift from all of us. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

" 'f you 'ver need anyth'ng, j'st l't us kn'w, alr'ght?" The taller man mumbled. You nodded in acknowledgement. "C'me on, l't's he'd h'me, T'no."

One by one, the Pure Ones came up to you and thanked you before they had left. You wondered how they were all going to get home but you saw that Arthur and his crew gave them all Homing Stones. One by one, they all vanished into thin air until all that was left was Arthur and his crew along with everyone on Gilbert's crew.

Arthur was the last to approach you. Eye to eye. Daring and fearsome emerald eyes against valiant and pain filled (e/c) eyes. How you dreaded and looked forward to this moment. For three and a half years, you had hated him, loathed him, and prayed that the worst misfortunes of Hell would fall upon him.

You now understood that it wasn't his fault because Asmos had possessed him for a very long time. But he still had some free control of himself and he had no excuse or reason that he didn't stop himself from killing thousands of people for his quest.

"(Name)... I know you're probably still furious with me."

"Right on the mark." You glare at him lightly and revert to your usual emotionless expression to keep yourself from lashing out at him. "I don't care whether you were possessed or not. You didn't even spare your victims for a moment. You didn't even hesitate to kill a woman who was a mother, who had evidence that she was a mother and was expecting on top of everything. I can never find it in my heart to forgive you for that. However… You did keep Victoria safe. And for that, you have my respect."

"That is more than fair." Arthur gave a satisfied smile. "Although, I don't think that is anywhere close to a bargain."

You never softened your gaze once and were ready to attack if necessary. You still didn't trust him one bit but you allowed him to continue.

"I do not wish us to be enemies. And I do owe you for freeing me and well… saving the world. As of today, I shall be in your debt and you may use my services whenever you please, however you see fit." He gave a small gentleman like bow.

This was certainly something you didn't expect. One of the most feared pirates was at your command whenever you please. You turned your head and tsked silently. There had to be some catch and you had suspected that there was a motive for some personal gain. The thought faded away as another voice reasoned that you don't have anything that he would want and there would be no way Arthur would be interested in you the way Gilbert is.

You gave his offer a little more thought. There was nothing that you could think of that would make him useful. If you took him back to the mainland, he would be sent to a noose the minute he set foot anywhere near your home. Perhaps he may not be much use to you, but he could help Gilbert, Antonio or Francis at some point.

"Very well, Kirkland. I accept your offer. How will I know where you are though when I need you?"

"Miss (Last Name), I am a pirate and a gentleman. I'm never very far but always out of reach of the authorities. Just ask around a little bit in any town. I'm always on some venture that has stories coming back to the mainland. Then send a bird my way."

Gilbert coughed 'show off' behind you but you didn't turn around to him just yet. "Very well. Take care." You turned to Gilbert and walked alongside him and Victoria as you walked back to Gilbert's ship.

The dawn welcomed you with joy. Vibrant pink, blue and orange hues danced in the sky beautifully as the ship sailed off. The dark sea waters rolled and waved with glee and every life force around you felt like they were happy. Was there a reason to not be happy? The world was not plunged into darkness and eternal despair. You were back with your loved ones. You couldn't ask for more.

You sat on the stairs with Victoria as you watched everyone flock Feliciano who was crying tears of joy and being hugged to death by Gilbert, Ludwig, Antonio, Francis and even Lovino. Although you saw him chug down half a bottle of wine afterwards.

Feliciano came to you and Victoria after the crowd settled down and gave you a huge hug.

"(Name)! I missed you so much! You're a lot prettier than I remember! Has it been that long already?"

You giggle at the fact he was back to his usual bubbly self as if nothing has happened.

"I missed you like crazy too, Feliciano." You smiled and hugged him back tenderly. "And your cooking! I keep on telling Ludwig to add more flavour to the food but he won't listen to me!" You pouted slightly.

"It's okay, bella. I'll give him lessons." He smiled as he bounded off somewhere.

"He's really funny.~" Victoria smiled. "Is he a really good cook?"

"That's blasphemy for saying such a thing, Tori! He's the best as best can be!" You smile. "I'm wondering if I should send you to Sunday school." You give her a sly grin.

"(Name)!" She laughed then her expression softened as she rested her head on your shoulder. "I actually want to go home… It was really scary being on my own… I learned some things too but… I don't want to live somewhere where I don't know how to do anything… And where I can't do anything… And where I may never see you again."

You give her a kiss on her forehead and run your fingers through her golden wavy hair to reassure her everything was going to be alright.

"I know Tori. I'll take you home."

"Are we going to have to move again?" Tori asked.

"…Yes." You say after a few moments of silence. Little did you know, Gilbert was standing by the helm, listening to your every word. He knew that he couldn't ask you to choose between him and Victoria. If it was a friend, he wouldn't give you the option of going back home with them. Maybe he would let you write every now and then but he knew that Victoria couldn't stand on her own and she needed you.

Xxxxx

That night, all the crew members joined together for a fiesta. Lovino and Feliciano played the tambourine and guitar respectively and you saw Feliciano dance with Victoria for a while as Ludwig took his place by playing the guitar. Lovino had danced with Sakura quite a bit as well when the tambourine wasn't needed.

You were very surprised at how much energy the crew had despite that they all fought the battle of a lifetime only mere short hours ago. You were exhausted and merely enjoyed watching the display that was spread out on the deck and walked around a little bit.

As you looked up to the starry sky, the crow's nest caught your attention. There was one thing that you had forgot to do the entire time you were here. You wanted to climb the crow's nest at least once to see what the ocean and the skies had looked like from above. You noticed that Antonio and Francis's crow's men were not at their post and upon closer examination; Gilbert's crow's nest was unoccupied as well.

You made your way up the rope ladder to the crow's nest quickly. You weren't expecting it to be so high or small. But you had to admit, the view was fantastic. You could see the horizon all around you and the light of the party was just below your feet.

You pull out your hair tie as warm winds lightly blew in your face and spread your hair out. You outstretched your arms as if they were wings as the wind blew against you. For some silly reason, your mind told you this is what it was like to be in flight.

"Nice view up here, huh?" You gasp a bit as you turn and see Gilbert standing behind you with his red cape flowing behind him majestically.

"Oh. You scared me. Yes, it is a really nice view up here. I wanted to come up here before…"

"Before you leave with your sister." Gilbert finished. You give him a guilty look as you saw the hurt look in his eyes.

"Yes. It's not like I don't want to stay but she needs me." You say without missing a beat as you run your fingers through your hair.

"I understand. On that day when Ludwig was taken from me, I was planning on giving up my ventures completely and staying inland with him. So I can't say I don't sympathize with you." Gilbert's glance briefly went to the deck to Ludwig's direction.

"…Come with me and Tori." You say as you take his hands and look at him pleadingly. "Maybe it's time for you to settle down. Your brother is safe. Feliciano is safe." Gilbert scoffed a bit and gave you a better smile.

"I think that's a no-can-do. The authorities have put a bounty on me for so long that I can't just settle down like that." He snapped his fingers. "Besides… Because of Kirkland, I missed out on a lot of real treasure hunts."

"Ah, I see. But what if you could get a pardon and be a privateer? What would you do, hypothetically speaking?"

"Hm." Gilbert sat down on the floor and scrunched his face a bit as he was thinking. "I would find a place where we could live together. I need a pardon from a King or someone of high rank for that to happen."

"What about the mayor of the wealthiest Merchant City on the Mediterranean?"

Gilbert turned to you with a confused expression as you sat down next to him, with your hand on his.

"Steinies may bear a grudge that may never be extinguished but Andros believes in second chances. I'm going to take Tori back home there and help rebuild it to what it used to be. Maybe even better. The mayor is still alive and trying to keep the town running. I can get you and everyone here a pardon and set you up as privateers so that you never have to worry about the authorities again. Besides, they're only after you after what Kirkland made you do, right?" Gilbert nodded and smiled in thanks.

"Your proposal sounds intriguing and persuasive and I will accept it under some conditions. First one: I want you to take Feliciano and Sakura with you. Feliciano isn't meant for dangerous journeys and the only reason he's here with me now is because of Ludwig was in danger. And he doesn't like fighting much so I think he wants a quiet life more than anything. And Sakura is under the same circumstances, right?" You nodded.

"My home is more than big enough to let them or anyone else stay. I'll gladly take them."

"Second. You write. Often. Two… No, no. Four times a week."

"That can be arranged… In fact…" You whistled and Gilbird flew up to the nest within seconds. "Why don't you keep Gilbird? I'm sure he won't mind. He's fast and smart so he can find you easily." Gilbird chirped happily and landed on Gilbert's hair which made him chuckle.

"Alright. My last condition, (Name)." His tone lowered as you felt him slide something on your left ring finger. You looked down and it was a gold ring with an emerald in the center. "Let me be yours. Always and forever."

"Yes. I agree to all of them." Gilbert held you close as you two shared a kiss that was unseen by the other crewmembers.

Xxxxxx

'Oh my god, I can't believe this is finally happening…' You think to yourself as you will every cell in your being not to breakdown or cry from happiness. You never thought this was going to happen in a very long time and you were not ready for it. It was far too soon. You saw Gilbert smile in your direction as you walked down the aisle, smiling back at him with pride.

Once you got to the end of the aisle to the altar, you turned to your sister and kissed her cheek for good luck. You couldn't describe how beautiful she was in her wedding gown. Her sunlight golden hair was in a crowning braid that had flowers weaved into it that you and Sakura slaved all morning to perfect. Her blue eyes were watering, giving you a smile from the bottom of her heart as she took Feliciano's hand to the altar. You went to your assigned area as a bride's maid as the past few years had flashed before your eyes.

It was hard to believe that five years had passed already. It wasn't long after Gilbert proposed that you two were married. It didn't take very long since neither of you were keen on a huge, traditional party. You two said your vows in front of the crew members on that night and officially registered when you returned to Andros.

Unlike you and Gilbert, Victoria and Feliciano wanted a party such as this and you couldn't say no to them. Ever.

Feliciano and Sakura had stayed with you and Victoria in your old house after you had cleaned it up and fixed it. People slowly started returning to Andros after you had returned and the majority of the city was rebuilt to its former glory.

True to your word, you were able to get Gilbert, Antonio and Francis a pardon from the mayor of Andros and made them privateers so they could still treasure hunt and go on adventures when they pleased without having to worry about the law too much. As well, you wrote almost every other day to Gilbert through the Gilbird Express. There was always something to tell him. Even if nothing new happened in your, you always wrote 'I love you' to him.

You have not heard from Arthur in a long time. Alfred managed to track you down with his pet eagle and send friendly letters every now and then to try and keep in touch and give you hints of what Arthur was up to just in case if you needed his help. You had thought of asking Arthur if he wanted a pardon as well but a part of you knew that this was the real Arthur Kirkland's calling and would rather be hung than to yield to the law in any way. It could have been that or perhaps Arthur didn't have to worry about anyone he cared about on land getting hurt.

Soon, their vows were said and Feliciano kissed Victoria passionately as he dipped her. You applauded with everyone else as your eyes met Gilbert's who was smiling back at you from the other side of the altar with Ludwig and Lovino.

After the wedding, you took a walk around the town with Gilbert, giving him a little bit of a lecture not to spoil and traumatize the newlyweds before their wedding night. You figured that Gilbert was half paying attention and were about to scold him further when he kissed you in the middle of the empty street in front of a shoe shop.

"They're in love, just like us, liebe. I think they could use a little advice."

You sighed and smiled a bit.

"A little advice. Not the whole talk." You pointed at him.

"Of course, of course. I do have a sensible side you know that right, (Name)?"

"Yeah. It's one of the reasons I love you so much." You kiss him once more then turned to head home. Before you left, you noticed the owner just bringing out new sets of shoes and caught a glimpse of tiny little shoes in the window. You hooked your arm around Gilbert's as you walked home, with your gaze constant on the beautiful sunset on the plateau with the white washed homes that promised another golden day tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladies and Gentleman, thank you very much for your support! This is the final chapter of Not Everything is Silver and Gold. It has been exactly one year today that I have started the series. I'm very proud of it and I am very happy that I have so many fans of this story <strong>

**If it's gonna finish, might as well finish with a bang tiiiiiiny bit of trolling :3 **

**Hm... Alrighty, news and announcement wise that is related to the story.**

**I will be doing a sequel to this series and I will give you a tidbit of my train of thought.**

** Reader-Chan will be playing the hero once more :3**  
><strong> Arthur will get a bigger role and be allied with Reader Chan<strong>  
><strong> Another couple will get together<strong>  
><strong> Reader-Chan and Gilbert's love will be severely tested<strong>  
><strong> Something unexpected will happen... A horse shall be traded for a DONKEY! (I can tell you think that this is going to be a kickass story, am I right? :3 ) <strong>

**Although, I cannot promise due dates. School munches up most of my time.**

**Announcement 2:**

**For those who remember, I am working on a trailer for this fanfiction. I was originally planning to finish it last summer but... things didn't work out. It's still in progress and slowly coming together. ** www. youtube watch?v=V2kPTocCjc0

**Unfortunately, I do not have scenes ready for the Italy bros, Arthur or Antonio so you can't hear their voices. Once I have scenes ready for them, I will give you a preview link(s) **

**Announcement 3: **

**I have given it some thought and I think I'm going to try and actually publish this story this summer or after I am finished with school. Granted, quite a bit of things need to be changed and edited but it will still follow the same plot line or written work that I have posted on here. **

**So no matter when you guys read this story or these comments, if you can give me some constructive criticism on what you liked or disliked or would liked to see more of, or any suggestions at all, that would be greatly appreciated. **

**Hope you liked this story and my other stories and I'll see you around! **

**PS, I'm putting chapter 2 and 11 back up :3  
><strong>


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